Governor Bruce Rauner is laying out a budget plan that includes major reforms, big cuts, and some tough choices.

Rauner says they are coping with both a current budget shortfall, and a huge hole in the upcoming fiscal year’s budget. He says his plan won’t be popular, but it is the only way to get the state back on track.

“Like a family, we must come together to address the reality we face. Families know they can’t get everything they want, but we can pay for what we need most.”

That includes $500 million to pay down the state’s stack of unpaid bills, and an increase in early childhood and K-12 education funding. The Governor’s budget proposal does not include any tax increases but does offer major changes to state employee pensions, adds more corrections officers, and reduces higher education funding.