CHICAGO (AP) — Gov. J.B. Pritzker has announced roughly $700 million in budget cuts, saying Illinois faces a $3.9 billion shortfall fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The cuts to the current budget include a hiring freeze, reduced overtime and reductions to grants. The reductions are to state agencies under the executive branch, meaning Pritzker doesn’t need legislative approval.

The first-term Democrat had predicted painful reductions after voters rejected a graduated income tax system in November. However, Republicans are calling it a self-inflicted problem by building a budget based on expected revenue.