CONTACT:
Gwen Pepin
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Chicago, IL – Today, Democratic Party of Illinois Chair Lisa Hernandez released the following statement after Governor JB Pritzker signed our state’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget into law:
“This budget was carefully crafted with everyday Illinoisans in mind–the small business owners, the working parents, the under-resourced teachers. Democrats have worked for six consecutive years to deliver budgets that improve lives. Under Governor Pritzker’s strong fiscal leadership and with the work of Democrats in the General Assembly, Illinois will look toward another year of prioritizing the quality of life of families across our state. The FY25 budget includes provisions that support working families, boost workforce development, cut costs for small businesses and grow our economy–on top of saving money for our state’s Rainy Day Fund. I commend Illinois’s Democratic leaders and lawmakers for once again delivering a budget that will help uplift every community in Illinois,” said DPI Chair Lisa Hernandez.
The signed budget includes a new child tax credit, designates a $350 million annual increase for K-12 education, $14 million for a new Department of Early Childhood as well as significant support for affordable housing, expectant mothers, public safety and migrant families and asylum-seekers in Illinois. With each of the last five balanced budgets, Illinois has demonstrated that investing in people, infrastructure, and the future is possible, all while being fiscally responsible and improving the state’s economy.
Under Republican leadership, Illinois was crushed by eight credit downgrades, $17 billion in overdue bills, and two years without a state budget. Under today’s Democratic leadership, this budget builds on five years of historic fiscal progress that have gained Illinois nine credit rating upgrades, a Rainy Day Fund that surpasses $2 billion, and the elimination of the grocery tax.
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