Illinois Senate Democrats pass balanced budget

SPRINGFIELD, IL –  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.  Read more at www.IllinoisSenateDemocrats.com.

Sen. Heather Steans (D – Chicago):

“This is an extremely challenging year for budget-making. The budget we just passed achieves the best possible balance of cuts, efficiencies, core priorities, and targeted spending on programs that work. We have to make good on our commitments to vulnerable populations, families hurt by the economic downturn, and our children who need a quality education now more than ever. At the same time, no state function is sustainable without a disciplined approach to debt and unfunded liabilities. This budget sets us well on our way to restoring Illinois to fiscal health.”

Sen. Dan Kotowski (D – Park Ridge):

“Our balanced budget plan makes real cuts, pays our unpaid bills, and funds key priorities – like education and job creation,” Senator Kotowksi said, who serves as chairman of a key Senate budget committee. “The most important thing we can do for businesses right now is to pass a balanced budget. They want certainty, and that’s exactly what this budget plan gives them.”

Sen. Don Harmon (D-Oak Park):

“This is a realistic budget that accepts that we don’t have as much money as we would like to fund all of Illinois’ important priorities.  It prevents us from falling deeper into debt, allows us to pay off some of our past-due bills, makes painful but responsible spending cuts, and allows us to invest in important priorities like education.”

Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood):

“This budget is frankly the best of a lot of bad options.  It shortchanges education by more than $300 million.  In fact, we’re spending less on our children’s schools than we did in 2008.  I intend to keep fighting for more school funding, but to prevent even deeper cuts, I’m reluctantly supporting this plan.”

Sen. Jeff Schoenberg (D – Evanston):

“This budget maintains core priorities like access to quality healthcare and education while paying $1.3 billion in old bills and meeting our entire pension obligation of $5.1 billion for the coming year. It strikes the right balance of fiscal responsibility and preservation of vital services that protect vulnerable populations and help keep our economy growing. This budget passed today spends $255 million less than last year’s as we continue moving toward strengthening the state’s financial health.”

Sen. Donne Trotter (D-Chicago):

“Last year, we took steps in the right direction with the budget.  This year we’re continuing to build on that.  We were able to minimize cuts to education and higher education, two priorities not just in Chicago and the suburbs, but across the state.”

Sen. Ira Silverstein (D – Chicago):

“This budget proves that we are serious about bringing our fiscal responsibilities into order. Our operating budget is smaller than last year, our obligations will be paid, and our spending is lower than Governor Quinn’s proposal. While I am not happy to see cuts made to education, human services and other areas, this budget is the responsible solution.”

Sen. Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago):

“I am concerned about the cuts to human services and corrections, but this budget proposal seems to be the best opportunity to prevent deeper and more harmful cuts to these programs. Unfortunately, the poor and underserved will still suffer as a result of this budget proposal. When additional monies become available in the next year, I will continue to campaign for that funding to go towards the human services programs necessary to the well being of our state.”

Sen. Jacqueline Collins (D – Chicago): 

“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.”

Sen. Linda Holmes (D – Plainfield):

“Although this wasn’t an ideal budget, it puts us on a path toward fiscal certainty in our state. It spends less, pays down our backlog of bills, does the best it can to protect our most vital services, like education. Our plan makes some tough, albeit necessary, cuts to state programs while not taking any funds away from local government. It is a responsible plan that balances the state budget in a fair way.”

Sen. Pat McGuire (D-Joliet):

“The budget adopted today by the Illinois Senate is attuned to our fiscal reality and people’s needs. It’s based on shared sacrifice, such as pay cuts for legislators and high-priced state officials. It pays down over a billion dollar in overdue bills. It’s honest.”

Sen. Toi Hutchinson (D – Chicago Heights):

 “Although this was not an ideal plan, I supported it with the mindset that we will continue to negotiate with the House until a final budget agreement is reached. The passage of this plan sends a message to the other chamber what our core priorities are here in the Senate.  Our plan is the best of a bad situation, and it provides more than the House’s alternative – even though it still lacks funding in some areas. I won’t stop negotiating until I feel comfortable that the budget does not place an unfair burden on the people who rely on our state’s most vital services, like education and human services.”

Sen. Ed Maloney (D-Chicago):

“It’s a budget that I am not completely happy with, but I’m happy that the cuts weren’t deeper, especially to education and higher education.  Given the diversity of our caucus, I believe it is a proposal that addresses the priorities of every member. This is a budget that will keep our spending in check and pay our bills, so it is a responsible budget proposal.”