CHICAGO – State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) released the following statement after news that Fitch Ratings revised its outlook on Illinois’ General Obligation Bonds from negative to positive:

“I’m extremely pleased with the Fitch outlook upgrade. This positive rating proves that the budget we passed and the actions we have taken over the past several years are fiscally responsible.

“Even though COVID-19 threw a wrench in things, I remain optimistic that we can continue to keep this debt decline moving forward. I am grateful for the leadership of our state’s top frontrunners: Governor Pritzker, Senate President Harmon, Speaker Welch and my colleagues for their suggestions and recommendations that help get us to this point. Further, I am appreciative of our budget and revenue staff for getting us to this point.

“I am excited to see the new opportunities for financial recovery and advancement. If we stay on this track, borrowing will cost less and taxpayers can save more money.”

Lawmakers praise Illinois' sound fiscal policymaking decisions

SPRINGFIELD – Fitch Rating released a revised outlook on Illinois’ financial forecast last week, a move several Democratic lawmakers praised as a direct result of responsible spending.

“Fitch Ratings Agency’s change of Illinois’ financial outlook from negative to positive reflects the state’s commitment to putting our fiscal house in order, which includes prioritizing paying the state’s backlog of bills - down from over $16 billion, at the height of the Rauner budget impasse, down to a normal payment cycle and nearly $3 billion today," said Senator Elgie R. Sims Jr. (D-Chicago).

Sims said while he is proud of the positive report, he knows there is much more to be done to help the state's most vulnerable. Read more on his comment here.

Suburban lawmakers also praised the actions taken over recent years to receive the rating upgrade.

“After years of fiscal irresponsibility and chaos under the previous governor, these rating upgrades are an example of what we can accomplish by working together to implement responsible budgets,” said State Senator Michael E. Hastings (D-Frankfort). “This is a vote of confidence in the future of our state.”

Fitch’s is the third ratings agency to upgrade the state’s forecast, in addition to Standard and Poor’s and Moody’s.

Read more.

Loughran Cappel calls on governor to further protect consumers from wrongful fees

PLAINFIELD – To end the practice of burdening family members of deceased utility customers with early termination fees, State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood) is urging Governor Pritzker to sign House Bill 122 into law.

“Utility companies taking advantage of hard working people through unnecessary fees is unfortunately all too common,” Loughran Cappel said. “Governor Pritzker has the ability to crack down on this predatory practice by signing a piece of legislation currently sitting on his desk. It is my hope that he will take swift action on this measure to protect Illinois families of all backgrounds.”

Read more.

Simmons hosts Pride Month reflection press conference

CHICAGO – State Senator Mike Simmons, a Chicago Democrat who is the first openly gay member of the Illinois State Senate was joined by community leaders, organizations, activists, and advocates to host a Pride Month reflection press conference Friday afternoon.

“This is a very special Pride Month, since it is the first I am celebrating as the first openly LGBTQ+ member of the Illinois Senate,” Simmons said. “We have had a lot of wins in the fight for LGBTQ+ people, but there is still a lot more urgent and important work that needs to be done. It’s an honor to be here today with all of these amazing advocates and leaders as we continue the fight for justice for LGBTQ+ people and for queer liberation.”

Read more.

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BUFFALO GROVE – The Illinois Rental Payment Program is now open to tenants applying directly for rental assistance, and State Senator Adriane Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove) hopes to help Illinois residents take advantage of the opportunity by hosting an informational webinar in partnership with the Illinois Housing Development Authority.

“We are winning the fight against COVID-19, but many individuals are still struggling to recover from job and income losses,” Johnson said. “The Illinois Rental Payment Program could help a family keep a roof over their heads, and it’s critical that we get the word out.”

The webinar will be held June 29 at 6 p.m., streamed live on Johnson’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/SenALJohnson. The event is open to all and does not require preregistration.

ELGIN – One of the nation’s top credit rating agencies, Fitch Ratings, recently updated its outlook on Illinois’ fiscal status, a move that State Senator Cristina Castro (D- Elgin) commends as a reflection of the state’s responsible spending.

“Illinois’ outlook change shows how the actions we’ve taken over the last few years, as well as the balanced budget we passed this year, have improved our state’s finances,” Castro said. “Even with the pandemic, we’ve managed to fully fund our pensions and even increase K-12 education funding.”

Along with those successes, Illinois has also cut spending by nearly $1 billion since 2020 and reduced Illinois’ bill backlog to less than $200 million from a high of nearly $1 billion in 2017.

Two other credit rating agencies, Standard and Poor’s and Moody’s, also adjusted Illinois’ outlook to be reflective of the positive changes Illinois has undertaken.

“Fitch improving its rating outlook for Illinois is a good thing for taxpayers in the state,” Castro said. “If we stay on track, borrowing will cost less which will end up saving taxpayers money.”

Fitch’s full analysis is available here.

DES PLAINES – Pedestrians and bicyclists in Des Plaines will be able to enjoy safer access to a 55-mile trail running from the Wisconsin border down through central Cook County thanks to a combined $3.5 million investment in local infrastructure improvements, State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) announced.

“The Des Plaines River Trail is one of the area’s most popular routes for families and commuters,” Murphy said. “These improvements will make it safer and easier for residents to enjoy miles of natural beauty.”

The City of Des Plaines will receive $1.9 million to create a sidepath, for use by both pedestrians and bicyclists, along the north side of Oakton Street between Des Plaines River Road and the Des Plaines River Trail. The new route will offer commuters and recreational users in Des Plaines safer and more direct access to the trail.

An additional $1.6 million will make improvements to Segment 2 of the Des Plaines River Trail through Rosemont.

These improvements are funded through the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP), for which the Illinois Department of Transportation has selected 99 projects totaling $105.7 million. Projects receiving funding in this round of investment include biking and walking paths, trails, streetscape beautification, and other projects designed to encourage safe travel across the various modes of transportation at the local level.

Residents of the Northwest Suburbs will also see improvements to a number of other area trails for pedestrians and bicyclists through ITEP, including Clearmont Pedestrian Bridge over Salt Creek in Elk Grove Village and County Farm Road in Hanover Park.

“The new and improved Des Plaines River Trail will allow residents of Wisconsin, Lake County and Cook County to travel throughout the region without worrying about dangerous crossings, flooding and other obstacles,” Murphy said. “I’m excited to see these long-awaited projects take shape.”

LAKE COUNTY, Ill. — State Senators Julie Morrison, Adriane Johnson and Melinda Bush are pleased to see Fitch Ratings – one of the three major credit rating agencies for state governments and other large borrowers – has upgraded Illinois’ outlook from negative to positive.

The Lake County senators released the following statements:

“The responsible, balanced budgets that we have passed put us on a positive path toward fixing our financial outlook and saving taxpayers money,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “The bond status upgrade will continue to put our state in a more financially stable position.”

“The cost-saving initiatives made over the last year — while also prioritizing the health, safety and needs of Illinoisans during a global pandemic — are proving to pay off,” said Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove). “It is gratifying to see the choices we’ve made send the state in a positive direction.”

“Despite being in a pandemic for more than a year, we made positive strides in reducing spending while cutting down our bill backlog,” said Bush (D-Grayslake). “The recognition from Fitch’s is additional proof that Illinois is moving in the right direction making responsible fiscal decisions.”

Fitch’s is the third ratings agency to upgrade the state’s forecast, in addition to Standard and Poor’s and Moody’s.

Highlights from Fitch’s analysis include:

·         “Recent fiscal results and the enacted fiscal 2022 budget suggest further improvements in operating performance and structural balance in the near and medium-term that could support a return to the pre-pandemic rating or higher.”

·         “Recent improvements including reduction in accounts payable and enacting plans for early retirement of federal pandemic loans, signal improvement in budget management.”

·         “Broadly, the state reports a $1 billion reduction in total general fund spending for fiscal 2022 ($42.3 billion) versus the current services estimate provided in November 2020. General fund base operating spending remains flat in the fiscal 2022 enacted budget versus fiscal 2021 at $30.8 billion. Funding for K-12 and higher education is up 3%, including a $350 million increase for K-12.”

Members of the Illinois Senate Black Caucus reacted to the news that Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison for the murder of George Floyd with a mixture of hope and dismay. While most were pleased that the justice system held him accountable for Floyd’s murder, some thought the sentence needed to be longer.

“No sentence would bring Mr. George Floyd back to his family, but today’s sentence does not go far enough toward holding Derek Chauvin responsible for the trust he’s broken,” said State Senator Elgie Sims (D-Chicago), sponsor of the SAFE-T Act. “This tragedy has not only affected the Floyd family, but has affected all of us. And, that’s why we should not be distracted from the fact that there is still more work to do to ensure our system of justice is fair and equitable for everyone.”

Senator Adriane Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove), thought the substantial sentence was a positive sign for members of the Black community.

“As we work toward restoring the soul of our nation, we must reconcile the two justice systems in this country: The system that exists for white Americans, and the system that exists for people of color,” Johnson said. “Derek Chauvin's sentencing represents a critical moment in the centuries-long quest toward equality – it shows that everyone, no matter who they are, must be held accountable for their actions.”

Senator Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) also emphasized that more work is needed.

“One police officer facing accountability for murdering an unarmed Black man does not erase countless similar tragedies that have occurred and continue to happen with numbing frequency,” Simmons said. “It’s time for active allyship from those who hold power and privilege to agitate for systemic changes right now that bring integrity to our systems that regularly steal Black lives away from us.”

Regardless of their opinions about the sentence, the members of the caucus expressed a commitment to ensuring that criminal justice reform continues in Illinois.

CHICAGO – State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas released the following statement on Friday’s sentencing of Derek Chauvin, who was convicted in April for the murder of George Floyd, to 22.5 years: 

“Today, my heart goes out to family of George Floyd who were forced to witness his murder and will have to live without their loved one for their remaining years. While some may interpret the sentencing as a form of justice, let’s not forget that true justice would mean that George Floyd would still be alive today. 

“The law enforcement system too often produces outcomes that result in the systematic harm inflicted on Black, Latinx and Indigenous communities. While the court system has returned a verdict and sentence that is rarely applied to police, we still have much work ahead with addressing the root causes of police inflicted violence.”