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QUINCY, ILL. -- Everyone knows how much every penny counts in the State of Illinois -- especially in today's budget climate.

Thousands of teachers have been cut to help make ends meet.....but there's a huge expense you might not have thought about.

And it's sucking up a large chunk of change.

Steve Staeger looks at the high cost of Illinois' government planes.

Illinois Representative Bill Black (R) said, "They don't want to discuss this. they don't want people to know they're flying back and forth at taxpayer expense."

But that's exactly what lawmakers are doing, and it's happening everyday. Four planes in the state's fleet are used for transporting legislators.

Black said, "There are four beachcraft kingairs and these are top of the line executive aircraft. donald trump wouldn't be ashamed to fly in a kingair."

The Illinois Department of Transportation has a hangar right here at Abraham Lincoln Capitol Airport. That's where the planes are stored. And they take off on the runway right behind me. That includes daily flights to and from Chicago.

Lawmakers say the executive aircraft are worth about $30 million, and I-DOT reports the cost of flying them added up to more than $1 million last year.

Your taxes are paying for fuel, repairs, pilot training and the air travel itself. Money some say could be better used elsewhere.

Black said, "How in the world, when you can't pay schools and you can't pay your creditors. How do you justify $30 million worth of airplanes and millions in operational costs."

Taxpayer Chalamisa Banks said, "They're not doing that good of a job if our budget is out of whack like this and they're cutting important stuff but not their personal spendings."

Taxpayer Edward McGrone said, "Certainly they could do without using that kind of money, with people losing their homes can hardly eat...and jobs as scarce as they are." But some folks believe it's a necessary expense.

Taxpayer Cheryl Manfrido said, "If you have a job that needs to be fulfilled both in Chicago and you need something in Springfield. You need to be present there... then on the job transportation should be provided."