Gong-Gershowitz Touts Budget Funding For Public Safety

Glenview IL

13 April, 2022

6:23 PM

Description

Press release from ILGA: April 13, 2022 State Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, D-Glenview, issued this statement following the passage of the 2023 budget on Saturday morning: "As we started to craft the new budget, it became clear that we had a real opportunity to move Illinois forward. We passed another balanced budget that continues to reverse damage caused by decades of mismanagement. Our budget pays off Illinois' longstanding bill backlog and pays down the state's debt, including paying an additional $500 million into Illinois' pension obligation early, saving taxpayers nearly $2 billion dollars. At the same time, we have committed $350 million to K-12 education and increased funding for higher education to keep students in Illinois. We coupled this with $1.2 billion to shore up the state's long-term fiscal stability and $1.83 billion in tax relief for Illinois families. "Public safety is a top priority both in this budget and in our legislative agenda. We must take a comprehensive, proactive approach towards public safety and address it from multiple sides. I'm glad to say that we have put substantial resources towards tackling the root causes of violence as well as providing law enforcement with the tools and training necessary to do their jobs safely and effectively. We must be intervening in kids' lives before they break the law and creating more opportunities in underserved communities, rather than resorting to the kind of mass incarceration policies that have proven harmful and ineffective. "Continuing the ongoing efforts to create a more affordable healthcare system is vital for Illinois. High-quality healthcare shouldn't be reserved for just the wealthy but understood as a human right. It is incumbent upon us to remove obstacles to accessing quality, affordable healthcare. This budget set aside hundreds of millions to lower prescription drug prices and create more opportunities to train as a doctor or nurse in Illinois. "This budget will do a lot of good for a lot of people, and I'm proud to have voted for it. This year we passed a budget that is going to make big, positive changes to our State's fiscal outlook while providing assistance to working families, kids who need higher education opportunities, communities that are facing public safety crises and expanding funding for education." This press release was produced by ILGA. The views expressed here are the author's own.