Getting relief to the lower- and middle-class citizens of Illinois is a superb and overdue idea.

The concept is one of the pieces of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s $45.4 billion state budget, unveiled this week during the worst snowstorm of the season.

Pritzker’s "Illinois Family Relief Plan" includes a property tax rebate of up to $300, a holiday on the 1% grocery tax and a one-year freeze on the scheduled inflationary rise in the state’s gas tax. All will assist citizens at every income level. The amount of the giveback is estimated at $970 million. In addition, the budget projects a 3.4% decrease in spending and a surplus of about $458 million.

Progress is being made toward paying down the pension debt. That guillotine has hung over the state’s attempts at moving forward financially for the past three decades. While the paydown is being managed better. Pritzker’s effort in practically the minimum required.

The punch back at opponents who think Pritzker and the Democrats are soft on crime. Hoping to quiet the crowd critical of a perceived “defund the police” position, he announced more funds for public safety in his budget, including appropriating $250 million for community-based violence prevention initiatives.

The budget is being evaluated politically in the way we’re evaluating everything these days – my side good, your side awful. But some of the complaints should stick to Pritzker.

The property tax relief is barely a drop in the financial drop for those in the northern part of the state, who face outrageous rates. The complaints about electioneering are only complaints about the obvious. Of course Pritzker framed the budget around re-election, inflation fears, COVID and other living terrors large and small.

Republicans aren’t wrong in protesting Pritzker’s concepts are balanced on federal COVID money, which is not the best idea. And the gas tax freeze takes away money for road and bridge repairs.

Pritzker’s effort toward aided the working class is needed. But spending is very risky given how the state’s finances remain so perilous.

Veteran observers of the state’s budgets called this week’s address among the most positive ever given. We hope Pritzker isn’t simply whistling past the graveyard.

One of the more amusing parts about Pritzker’s speech was his reference to Republicans looking for the worst in the address. “Contrary to those folks who spend their time orbiting Illinois politics just spelunking for misery, our state has a lot to be proud of,” Pritzker said. His compadres began using it as a Twitter hashtag: #spelunkingformisery.

Clearly, though, Pritzker used the speech intending to frame the debate in advance of the next election.