SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker announced his budget proposal Wednesday, and State Senator Karina Villa (D-West Chicago) released the following statement:

“This budget proposal highlights many areas of improvement that will bring relief to Illinois communities. As a strong advocate for community involvement, I am glad the budget addresses proper funding for programs that support older adults, increases access to mental health programs, reinvestments into Family Tax Relief efforts, and focuses on staff shortages among social workers. There is also additional funding toward making Illinois strong by paying down our backlog.

“I look forward to continuing negotiations with my fellow legislators in the General Assembly to pass a balanced budget that is efficient and effective for all.”