SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) – The governor has presented an annual spending plan not amid the usual pomp but to a mostly empty chamber during an onslaught of winter weather in Illinois. With inflation soaring, Gov. J.B. Pritzker offered a budget blueprint Wednesday with plans to suspend or offer rebates for taxes on groceries, gasoline and property as a way to relieve consumers. The 57-year-old Democrat’s speech also amounts to an unofficial opening to his campaign for a second term. The snowstorm forced legislative leaders to cancel lawmakers’ three scheduled work days this week, including what typically would be a joint session in the House chamber.
