Frpm State Senator Su Rezin:

Debt remaining, diaster looming

Sens. Rezin, Stoller criticize Democrats for irresponsible plan that leaves the state’s UI Trust Fund with a $1.8 billion debt.

The state of Illinois received $8.1 billion from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021, which was designed to be used for COVID-19 relief and help with economic recovery.

The federal government approved ARPA funds to be used on items like the UI Trust Fund, which prompted 31 states to use their APRA dollars to help fully fund their own deficits.

Meanwhile, Senate Bill 2803 appropriated only $2.7 billion of the $8.1 billion available APRA funds for the state’s UI Trust Fund. Sens.

Stoller and Rezin noted that while on paper the $2.7 billion may appear to be fiscally responsible and a large amount of money, however, it was only a small fraction of the state’s available funds and Illinois is still left with a $1.8 billion deficit, making it one of only nine states to still have an outstanding trust fund debt.

“The Governor and his Democratic allies in the General Assembly had nearly a year to allocate federal ARPA dollars to fix the growing UI Trust Fund deficit crisis,” said Sen. Rezin.

“Instead, of being fiscally responsible and prioritizing our trust fund, they waited and decided to appropriate our one-time federal dollars on other proposals and programs, including personal pork projects within their districts.

“Now, after only paying off 60 percent of the trust fund’s debt, they are patting themselves on the back and calling themselves financially responsible while our state’s employers and employees are preparing to bear the burden for their failure to truly fix this problem.”