Senate passes state budget

The Illinois Senate passed a balanced budget for the next fiscal year that spends $255 million less than last year’s, fully funds the state’s pension obligations, and sets aside $1.3 billion to pay old bills. While making across-the-board cuts to most agency budgets, it avoids reductions to K-12 education, MAP grants, and other priorities. The budget uses extra money from special funds to pay vendors like childcare providers and nursing homes. The budget stays within caps established earlier this year based on the state’s expected revenue.

“I’m glad to see increased funding in this budget for programs that serve the needs of youth in our communities – notably the Illinois Violence Prevention Authority, Teen Reach, and the Neighborhood Recovery Initiative. These programs help ensure kids have a safe, secure and productive summer. The budget passed today also protects early childhood education, funds indigent burials and increases support for home health care. It is by no means an ideal budget, and real people will be affected by its cuts. At the end of the day, we need to direct dollars to our most vulnerable populations and our most critical priorities, and this budget is an effort to do that.”