After months of bipartisan negotiations, schools will open on time, human service providers will receive state funds and government services will continue operating under an affordable and responsible short-term budget agreement approved by the General Assembly on June 30.

The agreement reached June 30 reflects a historic investment in education, ending the trend of ‘proration,’ or the deliberate cuts to school aid that we’ve seen for the last seven years. Importantly, no schools will receive less money than they did last year due to a “hold harmless” provision included in the proposal.

The bipartisan compromise also included $75 million for early childhood education and created a $250 million equity grant for the state’s most underprivileged school districts.

I am also happy to share that unlike former proposals pushed by the legislative majority earlier this spring, the agreement reached yesterday does not include a “bail out” of Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Instead, Chicago was given the power to raise property taxes as a way to help fund their school system.

Schools throughout Illinois, including our local schools, have managed their budgets.

They shouldn’t be on the hook for repairing the years of mismanagement and waste now plaguing CPS—particularly when Chicago hasn’t taken the same steps to increase revenue and improve efficiencies that have been adopted by other school districts and communities throughout Illinois.

This stop-gap budget gives Chicago the authority to raise property taxes, providing the failing school system a feasible way to address their serious fiscal crisis.

While my preferred path would have been a full-year budget accompanied by economy-boosting structural reforms to state government, this is a reasonable compromise that provides certainty and stability in many vital areas of state government. It became clear that my colleagues across the aisle were not going to meet us halfway on a full-year budget until after the November election.

What was signed into law is a responsible short-term plan that offers reassurance to those who rely on state funds.

The budget compromise will also fund many other areas of state government for the next six months, including higher education, human services, public safety, and critical state government operations, among others. More information can be found at my website.

I am proud to have been a part of the negotiation process that led to the approval of a responsible and affordable stop-gap budget. Ultimately, this compromise demonstrates that lawmakers from both parties can work with each other and Governor to put the needs of the state before their political agendas.

I hope that we can translate this small bipartisan victory into responsible, long-term solutions that will place Illinois back on the path to success.

As always, I hope you will contact me or my office with any questions or concerns you may have. You can also visit my legislative website at www.senatormcconnaughay.com.

Sincerely,

Karen McConnaughay
State Senator for the 33^rd District

State construction program to continue as planned

The stop-gap budget signed into law June 30 means construction workers will stay on the job and transportation infrastructure improvement and maintenance projects will continue uninterrupted. Read more

Critical response, safety projects to protected by stop-gap budget

“This spending plan is good news for IEMA and our many local public safety partners,” said IEMA Director James K. Joseph. “We sincerely appreciate the efforts of the governor and the General Assembly in ensuring that these critical public safety programs can continue, and we look forward to passage of a balanced budget with structural reforms in the near future.” Read more