As the Illinois Latino Legislative Caucus prepares for the negotiations during budget season, they look forward to collaborating with Governor Pritzker to devise a series of strategies anchored in addressing the chronic fiscal and structural issues faced by our state in both spending plans and revenue generation. This year presents additional layers of constraints and opportunities as the COVID-19 pandemic and heightened awareness of systemic racism call on public servants to be more precise and deliberate with mitigating impact and reconciling past harm.

The Latino Caucus especially looks forward to continued partnership with the Governor's Office in the areas that greatly impact over two million Illinoisans who identify as Latinx, nearly 750,000 individuals who are immigrants and/or refugees, and an estimated 324,000 who are undocumented from Latin America-all who count on our ingenuity and commitment to protect basic elements of dignified life. We are prioritizing building on the following areas this budget cycle:

CHICAGO – Assistant Majority Leader Tony Munoz (D-Chicago) is urging drivers to follow Scott’s Law after six more Illinois State Police troopers were hit while responding to roadside incidents this week, marking 10 crashes caused by drivers who didn’t slow down and move over when they saw a roadside first responder in 2021.

“As a former police officer, I know the life-threatening situations law enforcement officers face on the job. Drivers have the power to reduce that risk for officers and first responders addressing incidents on the side of the road,” Munoz said. “If you see flashing lights, slow down and move over—it’s the law, and it might just save a life.”

According to the Illinois State Police, three Scott’s Law-related collisions occurred in just one day. Six of the 10 crashes have left troopers with injuries, and one in Will County on Feb. 15 left a trooper seriously injured.

SPRINGFIELD – In a conversation following the governor’s annual budget address Wednesday, State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) offered her perspective on the proposal and pointed to areas that need further negotiation.

“I think this starts our discussion,” Murphy said. “First off, we have to finalize, hopefully, addressing COVID-19—we have to get everybody vaccinated so we can go forward from that.”

Murphy expressed her support for certain parts of the governor’s proposal, including plans to fully fund the state pension system and increase funding to the Illinois Department of Employment Security, which has been overwhelmed with unemployment insurance claims since the onset of the pandemic.

Using the governor’s proposal as a starting point, Murphy says she hopes lawmakers will be able to negotiate more assistance for middle-class Illinois families, especially parents with college-age students struggling to afford tuition.

The full interview is available here.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) will chair the first hearing of the Senate Tourism and Hospitality Committee at 10 a.m. Thursday morning.

The hearing will cover the strategic plan for COVID-19 recovery and relief in the hospitality industry and will feature testimony from representatives of various areas of the industry, including Sam Toia, President and CEO of the Illinois Restaurant Association; Michael Jacobson, President and CEO of the Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association; Jayne Deluce from the Champaign County Visitors Bureau; and Cara Bader, representing the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

Aurora, Ill. – Headed by Senator Linda Holmes (D-Aurora), the Senate Labor Committee held a subject matter hearing Wednesday morning regarding unemployment issues stemming from the pandemic, with a focus on input from business and labor representatives.

“The dramatic increases in unemployment and several new federal unemployment programs bogged down the Illinois Department of Employment Security’s offices and website, which kept thousands of Illinoisans from accessing their unemployment payments, adding more economic stress on top of job losses,” Holmes said. “They were understaffed and underfunded to meet this unprecedented demand.” 

SPRINGFIELD — Democratic members of the Illinois Senate reacted to Governor JB Prtizker’s budget proposal Wednesday, acknowledging he has been faced with unprecedented challenges but hoping for stability and predictability.

Illinois Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) said the governor’s proposal is a good-faith effort to both recognize our state’s financial realities and honor our commitments and priorities.

“Coming out of this pandemic, we need to get people back to work. Our first priority with any tax incentive needs to be jobs for hardworking Illinoisans,” Harmon said. “So, I think it’s fair to ask what the hardworking taxpayers of Illinois are getting in return for these corporate tax breaks. It’s entirely appropriate to put some of these incentives under the microscope to see what works and get rid of what doesn’t. Senate Democrats, however, are always interested in finding resources for education. I suspect this year will be no different.”

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus called a press conference Wednesday to offer their responses to Gov. JB Pritzker’s annual budget address.

Black Caucus leaders addressed the parts of the governor’s budget proposal relating to the ILBC’s four-pillar legislative agenda aiming to rid Illinois of systemic racism, improve academic opportunities for low-income and minority students, foster economic development in communities of color, and increase investments in minority-owned businesses and disadvantaged communities.

SPRINGFIELD – Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) issued the following statement on Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposed budget:

“This proposal is a good-faith effort by the governor to both recognize our state’s financial realities and honor our commitments and priorities.

“Coming out of this pandemic, we need to get people back to work. Our first priority with any tax incentive needs to be jobs for hardworking Illinoisans.

“So, I think it’s fair to ask what the hardworking taxpayers of Illinois are getting in return for these corporate tax breaks. It’s entirely appropriate to put some of these incentives under the microscope to see what works and get rid of what doesn’t.

“Senate Democrats, however, are always interested in finding resources for education. I suspect this year will be no different.”