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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, In November 2020, the people of Illinois | ||||||
| 3 | overwhelmingly voted "no" on a graduated income tax proposed | ||||||
| 4 | by Governor JB Pritzker as a means to increase state revenue; | ||||||
| 5 | and | ||||||
| 6 | WHEREAS, Illinois has undergone two income tax increases | ||||||
| 7 | in the past decade, neither of which have provided a stable | ||||||
| 8 | solution to the State's budget woes; and | ||||||
| 9 | WHEREAS, Certain elected officials actively worked for and | ||||||
| 10 | succeeded in expanding State spending since the last tax | ||||||
| 11 | increase was enacted in 2017, without any method to pay for the | ||||||
| 12 | additional programs; and | ||||||
| 13 | WHEREAS, These certain members helped ensure that the | ||||||
| 14 | General Assembly passed and the Governor signed an FY21 budget | ||||||
| 15 | with an estimated $6.2 billion deficit; and | ||||||
| 16 | WHEREAS, The State is currently faced with over $140 | ||||||
| 17 | billion in unfunded pension liabilities; and | ||||||
| 18 | WHEREAS, The voters' rejection of the failed graduated | ||||||
| 19 | income tax proposal is further proof that citizens no longer | ||||||
| 20 | trust government with more tax dollars; and | ||||||
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| 1 | WHEREAS, With additional revenue items exhausted, it is | ||||||
| 2 | time for elected officials in Illinois to find other places to | ||||||
| 3 | save money; and | ||||||
| 4 | WHEREAS, A forensic audit is a thorough and evidentiary | ||||||
| 5 | audit that can identify corrupt practices and wasteful | ||||||
| 6 | spending that have occurred and provide the basis for | ||||||
| 7 | prosecution of those who engaged in those practices; and | ||||||
| 8 | WHEREAS, Identifying waste, fraud, neglect, and abuse is a | ||||||
| 9 | first step in restoring Illinois citizens' faith in | ||||||
| 10 | government; and | ||||||
| 11 | WHEREAS, Forensic audit findings, coupled with agency cuts | ||||||
| 12 | and efficiencies by the Governor, can make a meaningful dent | ||||||
| 13 | in the State's structural deficit; therefore, be it | ||||||
| 14 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 15 | HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 16 | the Auditor General is directed pursuant to Section 3-2 of the | ||||||
| 17 | Illinois State Auditing Act to conduct a forensic audit of all | ||||||
| 18 | State spending, hiring, procurement, and contracts awarded | ||||||
| 19 | from January 1, 2022 to January 1, 2024; and be it further | ||||||
| 20 | RESOLVED, That the Auditor General commence this forensic | ||||||
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| 1 | audit as soon as possible and report the findings and | ||||||
| 2 | recommendations upon completion in accordance with the | ||||||
| 3 | Illinois State Auditing Act; and be it further | ||||||
| 4 | RESOLVED, That the Auditor General, upon finding any | ||||||
| 5 | incident of suspected waste, fraud, neglect, or abuse, shall | ||||||
| 6 | file a complaint to the Executive Inspector General or other | ||||||
| 7 | appropriate Inspector General to be referred for further | ||||||
| 8 | investigation; and be it further | ||||||
| 9 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
| 10 | delivered to the Auditor General and the Governor. | ||||||