Senator Tim Bivins welcomes Scales Mound FFA students to the State Capitol Building March 16 as part of the annual Illinois Agricultural Legislative Day activities in Springfield.

Accompanying the students was Teacher Lisa Oellerich.

Senator Tim Bivins welcomes Eastland High School FFA students to the State Capitol Building March 16 as part of the annual Illinois Agricultural Legislative Day activities in Springfield.

Accompanying the students was Teacher Stan Toepfer.

Despite Illinois’ overwhelming deficit, Governor Pat Quinn presented a “borrow and spend” budget on March 10 that Senator Tim Bivins said may be the most irresponsible budget ever submitted to the General Assembly.

Not only is the budget proposal out of balance by almost $5 billion—violating the Governor’s constitutional duty to propose a balanced budget—the plan presented by Quinn doesn’t have a single penny to back up nearly a fifth of General Funds spending.

The Governor also advanced a 33 percent state income tax increase, proposing a surcharge hike from 3 percent to 4 percent for education funding. However, Senator Bivins said that this $3 billion increase is obviously a tactical maneuver to pressure lawmakers into increasing taxes in the short-term, with an even larger tax increase likely to be pushed following the November elections.

Senator Tim Bivins welcomes the Carroll County Farm Bureau Board of Directors to the State Capitol Building March 11.

The group was in town to talk with their lawmakers about issues affecting agriculture.

Seen here outside the Senate Chambers are (from left to right) Bill Weber, Keith Rath, Ron Iske, Larry Alexander, Linda Alexander, Senator Bivins, Francis Snider, Brad Smith, Chas Welch and Allen Derrer.