Budget

SPRINGFIELD — Assistant Majority Leader Iris Y. Martinez (D-Chicago) issued the following statement today after voting for a balanced budget that keeps Illinois on the path to stability:

“This budget continues the progress we have made since the disastrous budget crisis, but it does much more than that.

“It honors our commitments to those receiving pensions. It invests in our future by exceeding the minimum requirement for education funding and increasing funding for higher education and grants to help young people attend college. It restores much-needed funding to human service programs like domestic violence shelters and immigrant and refugee services, particularly important during a time of great fear for immigrants.

“This budget sends a clear message to the people of our state that we are working toward a brighter future for Illinois.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Cahokia) released the following statement after voting on a budget that increases funding for violence prevention grants, education, MAP, AIM HIGH and DCFS.

“This year’s budget keeps Illinois on the road toward stability and truly channels the needs of the working families in Illinois,” Belt said. “Increasing funding to these programs boosts our students’ growth and also puts our state in a better position than before.” 

“Also, the budget is creating new jobs opportunities and revolves around stopping low-income families from leaving the state,” Belt said.     

The budget appropriates $12 million in grants to address violence prevention efforts state statewide, including downstate communities, Chicago and the suburbs.

P-12 education will have record-breaking funding of $8.8 billion, and higher education will receive a 5 percent increase to support community college and universities. Local districts will receive an additional $26 million for students’ transportation costs.

The Monetary Award Program (MAP) will receive $451 million in next year’s budget – a $50 million increase over last year.

AIM HIGH, a program that works to reduce the costs of college for working and middle-class students, will receive an additional $10 million in funding, a move Belt hopes will help combat student out migration.

DCFS will receive an additional $100 million to hire 300 staff and caseworkers, reducing worker caseload and ensuring more attentive oversight for children and families under the agency’s care.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Ram Villivalam voted today to approve a budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

I am proud to have worked in a bipartisan manner to pass a balanced budget that meets our obligations to the people in the state of Illinois," said Villivalam. "This balanced budget is an important step to putting the state of Illinois on a path of fiscal responsibility."

In voting for this budget, Senator Villivalam supports: Funding for the Community Care Program and the Adult Day Services program, which provides critical care for seniors; Funding to expand and increase awareness of the Child Care Assistance Program, which helps working families with child care expenses; Making the state's pension payments; Paying the backlog of bills.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) released a statement following Gov. JB Pritzker’s budget address this afternoon.

"It is a relief to serve with a governor who shares our values,” Villivalam said. “We have difficult choices ahead of us. This budget won’t be a solution to all of the problems we face in Illinois, but it's a start.”

The budget proposed by Pritzker, which covers July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2020, calls for increased funding for education paid for by revenues that will be primarily created with the legalization of recreational marijuana and sports gambling.

“Investing in education is one of the most important things we can do as legislators. To keep our young people in Illinois we need to provide quality higher education opportunities in our state so they go to school here, get jobs here and choose to raise their families here,” Villivalam said. “By no means will these new revenue sources solve every problem we face, but ensuring that all students in Illinois in K-12 and beyond have the tools to succeed is a good start.”

SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus (ILBC) responded to Gov. JB Pritzker’s first budget address on Wednesday.

Leaders of the Black Caucus discussed some of the main issues facing black communities, ranging from criminal justice reform to higher education.

State Senator Kimberly A. Lightford, Chairman of the ILBC:

“The governor’s budget plan is a great start to tackle some of the key challenges we are facing including ensuring a living wage for working families and that students around the state receive a quality education.

“His speech was very realistic about the hole that we are in and how we can climb out of it over time, while continuing to support crucial services like mental health support and violence prevention programs.

“We look forward to working with our colleagues and the governor’s administration to guarantee that the issues facing the black community are prioritized in the next state budget.”

SPRINGFIELD – The governor’s plan to invest more in career and technical education is welcome news for students and families in the northwest suburbs, State Senator Ann Gillespie said today.

“I am encouraged by the governor’s pledge to invest $5 million in career and technical education. I’m excited about the possibilities, particularly as we look to shore up the Illinois economy, stop the outmigration of suburban students to other states and put more people to work in good-paying jobs right here at home,” Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) said.

Gillespie’s remarks came after the governor delivered his first budget address to the Illinois General Assembly in Springfield.

She noted the governor’s overall plans to increase the state’s investment in education: $375 million more for public schools, increased funding for early childhood education, more money for college MAP grants and a greater investment in universities and community colleges.

“The key to fueling Illinois’ economic rebirth is to invest in education from cradle to career. I’m glad the governor shares this priority,” Gillespie said. “Now it’s time for us all to get down to business, learn from past failures and figure out how to make some of these ideas a reality.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) issued the following statement reacting to today’s budget address by Gov. JB Pritzker:

“Gov. Pritzker and his budget team made tremendous strides for Illinois today, focusing on our children and the future is something to be celebrated. I commend Gov. Pritzker for his commitment to invest more in both K-12 and higher education institutions.

Under the proposed budget scheduled to start July 1, 2019, school districts across the state will get $25 million more than required by the new school funding formula – an increase to $375 million from $350 million.

Higher education will also see a $50 million increase for the Monetary Award Program (MAP) and a $55.2 million increase for public universities’ operating expenses.

‘Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville and other area public schools have been decimated for too long, and stability must be brought back into our classrooms to invest in our state’s economic growth,’ Crowe said. ‘I appreciate his effort and for sharing my main priority.’

I look forward to working with Gov. Pritzker on his bipartisan Downstate Revitalization Plan while having discussions on this proposal to agree on a final spending plan that is fiscally responsible to taxpayers.”

SPRINGFIELD – After viewing Gov. JB Pritzker’s 2019 Budget Address, State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) released the following statement:

“The previous four years have conditioned me to automatically dislike the annual Budget Address, so it was a pleasant surprise to hear that Gov. Pritzker’s vision for the future of the state is one that is beneficial to all of the people who live here.

“I’d like to congratulate the governor for what I believe to be some very important and advantageous promises that he made in his speech. I’m glad he vows to increase investment in early childhood and K-12 education, because delivering folks a good, fulfilling life has to start young.

“I’m glad he vows to invest in social services like the CCAP program and disability services, because supporting those who need it throughout their entire lives is one of the most crucial functions of government.

“I’m glad he vows to invest in criminal justice efforts and violence prevention programs, as well as move to legalize recreational marijuana. However, I do caution that any attempt to legalize marijuana must be paired with expungement legislation so that folks who are currently in prison for marijuana offenses have a path toward release once it becomes legalized.

“This is a very good foundation upon which we can build a brighter future for everyone in Illinois that will help bridge the income inequality gap that plagues our state.

“I recently read an article about the income inequality in Chicago, which is growing at an alarming and potentially unsustainable rate. This hit home for me, because that’s where I live. It’s where I grew up, it’s where the people I represent live.

“We can use this budget as a springboard to leap toward more progressive forms of revenue, particularly a fair, progressive income tax that shifts the burden off of the black and brown working class families and onto the wealthy people who can afford to pay their fair share.

“This is a very promising budget. It’s not fully where it needs to be just yet, but I’m confident that with enough hard work, the General Assembly can use this budget as a starting point towards a functional, stable government that works for everyone and leaves no one behind.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) issued the following statement after Gov. JB Pritzker’s 2019 Budget Address:

“It was refreshing to hear a budget address from a governor who is willing to work with the General Assembly to pass a balanced budget. After four years of budget addresses that seemed hostile to cooperation and functioning government, this return to stability is a nice change.

“I’m encouraged by Gov. Pritzker’s pledge to search for new revenue sources. Any way that we can increase the state’s revenue stream without having to increase taxes on working families is step in the right direction.

“I was also pleased to hear the governor lay out his legislative and budgetary priorities for this General Assembly. It’s much easier to work with a governor who makes their intentions clear. That allows us in the legislature to set our own agenda in a way that is complementary to the executive so that we can coexist in the way we ought to: as separate but equal branches.

“Overall, I was pleased with the address, and I look forward to working with the governor along with my Senate colleagues to ensure that the budgets we pass in the future are all fair, balanced and beneficial to everyone in Illinois.”

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker unveiled his first budget on Wednesday in Springfield.
State Senator Suzy Glowiak (D-Western Springs) is happy to hear proposals for a $375 million increase in K-12 education funding to ensure all schools in DuPage and Cook counties see more state dollars in their classrooms.

“Our schools are finally being funded the right way to help ensure our children receive outstanding educational opportunities without raising property tax bills,” Glowiak said. “I’m happy to see that the state is finally paying its fair share.”

However, the freshman senator has numerous questions about the governor’s pension funding proposals that would restructure pension payments and delay the target date that the state’s pension system is 90 percent funded from 2045 to 2052.

Glowiak, who declined a General Assembly pension herself, does not feel comfortable supporting proposals that will delay vital pension payments.

“Too many governors for too long have kicked the can down the road on our state’s pension obligations,” Glowiak said. “I need further details to decide if I can support a proposal that delays the year we fully fund our pension payments.”

The budget proposal also included plans to close loopholes for big corporate businesses such as Walmart to help the state find $94 million in savings over the next year.

“The State of Illinois is breaking away from President Trump’s big tax breaks for massive corporations,” Glowiak said. “We need to focus on finding savings and helping our local businesses prosper in our communities, not handing big conglomerates tax breaks on the taxpayer’s dime.”

The Majority Report - June 8, 2018 - State budget winners: Schools, universities, local government

Municipal leaders today told a joint panel of the Senate’s two budget committees that Gov. Bruce Rauner’s plan to strip $131 million from Illinois communities could lead to service cuts, job layoffs and possible local tax increases.

Decatur Mayor Julie Moore-Wolfe said her aging central Illinois town has few options for replacing the nearly $1 million lost under the Rauner takeaway. There’s an economic impact, too, she said. For example, recent droughts forced the city to temporarily close car wash operators, and a major manufacturer risked a plant shutdown because the water supply was at severe risk.

State cutbacks also force new fees, such as the one Decatur taxpayers pay to help fund a $90 million lake dredging project. And, Moore-Wolfe added, aging sewers need to be replaced because of government mandates, so water fees were raised to pay for the $76 million effort.

Despite Decatur’s can-do approach, another year without the $1 million the town of nearly 73,000 needs, austere cutbacks are likely.

High anxiety and frustration is expected among incarcerated criminals. But lately Governor Rauner’s administrators at the Illinois Department of Corrections are living under $420 million worth of pressure and they’re hoping lawmakers will quickly send them more money to operate.
 
Rauner’s Department of Corrections is unable to effectively operate and dig out of the deficit spending hole created by his drawn-out budget stalemate. IDOC officials say they’ve exhausted efficiency methods, all the way down to rationing of toilet paper available to inmates.

Less than a year after a bipartisan state budget deal restored some semblance of stability for the state’s public universities and colleges, school leaders say Gov. Bruce Rauner’s budget proposal could be a devastating financial blow to their recovery.

Rauner wants to dump state retirement costs back on the universities as part of a four-year plan to shift $2 billion worth of state costs onto public schools, universities and colleges. The practical result would be layoffs and program cuts along with potentially higher tuition for students.