Republican nominee for governor Darren Bailey says he can cut nearly one-third of the state budget, but isn’t saying how that might impact the jobs of state workers in Springfield and elsewhere.
Bailey contends that through “zero-based budgeting,” where every dollar spent has to be justified, he can identify and eliminate $10 to 15 billion in wasteful spending.
Speaking to reporters after a Springfield rally Wednesday, one day after his final debate with Governor JB Pritzker, Bailey did not answer when asked how many state jobs might be eliminated by cutting that much spending from the budget. Payroll is generally one of the largest expenditures each year for state government.
