Rauner Seeks Cuts to Close $6 Billion Illinois Deficit
Higher taxes aren’t the answer, he says.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner declares victory during his election night gathering while incumbent Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn is yet to concede on November 4, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois.
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Governor Bruce Rauner proposed spending cuts across state programs from Medicaid to universities to stanch the fiscal bleeding in Illinois, the U.S. state with the lowest credit rating.
With day-care programs and prisons set to run out of cash by early April, Rauner, the first Republican elected to lead Illinois in 16 years, rejected increasing taxes to close a $6.2 billion budget shortfall. His proposal Wednesday to reduce spending instead drew criticism from Democrats who control the legislature and must approve the budget.