Elected officials in Springfield will look to come to terms on a state budget for the coming year.  However, the process this time is expected to be more difficult.  Pandemic-era federal relief will soon expire, requiring officials to either make cuts or find revenue elsewhere.  Additionally, with elections for governor and many legislative seats set for this year, officials want to stick to their platforms and promises while also satisfying voters and their needs. 

Dr. Kent Redfield is a professor emeritus of political science at the University of Illinois-Springfield.  He says if the legislature cannot pass the budget before the final month of negotiations arrives, a greater share of votes in favor becomes required to pass it.

In addition, the expiration of temporary pandemic-era funding creates new budget shortfalls.  With differences in priorities among party lines, legislators may struggle to come to agreements on certain terms. 

Dr. Redfield says the elections this year complicate the process even further in part because politicians must split their time between working on the budget and campaigning. 

Speaking of elections, the state’s general primary election is set for Tuesday, March 17.  The last day for “regular” voter registration is Tuesday, February 17.

If you do not register by then, there is a “grace period” for registration.  However, only a limited number of methods are available at that point. 

More information on elections in Illinois is available at the Illinois State Board of Election's website, elections.il.gov.  More information on UIS’s political science program is available at www.uis.edu/spia.

Dr. Kent Redfield appeared as a guest on the WTIM Morning Show.