Dupage Policy Journal

State Rep. Jennifer Sanalitro (R-Carol Stream) is blasting Gov. J.B. Pritzker's new state budget as just more reckless spending.

“Yesterday, Governor Pritzker signed into law one of the largest spending plans in the history of Illinois," Sanalitro posted on her website. "This is a spending plan created with no input from House Republicans. I voted no because it has major flaws including: pay raises for Springfield politicians, insufficient funds returned to local governments through the Local Government Distributive Fund and the Personal Property Replacement Tax, and the countless pork projects for areas represented by the majority party.”

Sanalitro is also taking exception with the way Republicans were presented with the budget. "We were given our first look at it late in the evening on a Thursday, and expected to read through the nearly 4000 pages in time to vote on it in the early morning hours on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend."

The $50.4 billion spending plan signed into law by Pritzker earlier this month is the largest budget in state history. It includes massive boosts for education, and health care and childcare, while also heavily investing in law enforcement and measures meant to help the homeless.

The plan calls for an upfront investment in early education of $250 million, with all the funds going to the upstart Smart Start program. It also invests $350 million more for K-12 education across the state along with $100 million being set aside for higher education for scholarships and to provide free access to community colleges.

The plan also allocates money for economic development, addressing homelessness and helping those with developmental disabilities. 

Sill in her first-term in the 48th District, Sanalitro received over 55% of the vote, defeating Democratic candidate Azam Nizamuddin last November. Prior to being elected, Sanalitro worked as District Sales Training Manager and currently is in an Executive Sales position for a packaging company.