SPRINGFIELD ─ Members of the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus celebrated the recent announcement of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s $13 million investment for 46 new all-electric school buses. The funding will facilitate the swap from older diesel-powered buses to brand new electric buses with the charging infrastructure needed to power the new fleet.

The grants are funded through Illinois’ allocation of the multi-billion-dollar Volkswagen Settlement and are distributed by Illinois EPA’s Driving a Cleaner Illinois Program. The grant program was developed to distribute funding for various types of clean air and energy projects. Illinois EPA has spent nearly $108 million in VW Settlement funds to date, funding 122 electric school buses and 65 direct current fast charging sites across the state. ​The program has also funded 60 electric transit buses in the Chicago area.

CHICAGO – Majority Caucus Appropriations Leader Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-Chicago) released the following statement after the Fiscal Year 2026 budget was signed into law:

“The budget signed today is one that confronts the challenges before us with the same principled approach that guided our recovery: true fiscal responsibility, addressing reality head-on, and not postponing difficult decisions for future years.

Our unwavering commitment to making Illinois not just a place to live, but a place where families thrive, businesses flourish, and communities prosper is apparent in the budget. We have invested in the whole person, recognizing that our state's strength lies in the collective success of all Illinoisans.

The Fiscal Year 2026 budget serves today's needs while building tomorrow's opportunities."

CHICAGO – Majority Caucus Appropriations Leader Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-Chicago) released the following statement after the Fiscal Year 2026 budget was signed into law:

“The budget signed today is one that confronts the challenges before us with the same principled approach that guided our recovery: true fiscal responsibility, addressing reality head-on, and not postponing difficult decisions for future years.

Our unwavering commitment to making Illinois not just a place to live, but a place where families thrive, businesses flourish, and communities prosper is apparent in the budget. We have invested in the whole person, recognizing that our state's strength lies in the collective success of all Illinoisans.

The Fiscal Year 2026 budget serves today's needs while building tomorrow's opportunities."

SPRINGFIELD – Senate Appropriations Leader Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-Chicago) released the following statement after the passage of the Fiscal Year 2026 budget:

“Through our unwavering commitment to fiscal responsibility over recent years, Illinois has engineered a remarkable financial turnaround that marks a defining moment in our state's economic history. However, no state is safe from the chaos and uncertainty coming out of Washington, D.C.

“When we began negotiations for the Fiscal Year 2026 budget, we took a serious look at the crisis we are facing with the understanding that fiscal responsibility is about tackling what is in front of us. This budget is simply that: a reflection of our priorities and the uncertainty that is in front of us.

“This budget reflects our shared values and our commitment to making Illinois a better place to live, work and raise a family – investing in the whole person. I am proud to have led a balanced budget that addresses our current needs.”

Fiscal Year 2026 Budget

The Fiscal Year 2026 budget builds upon the responsible spending decisions we have made and balanced budgets we have passed in recent years. It is a balanced budget that is reflective of our state’s priorities, while also taking into account the harsh reality and uncertainty we are facing from the federal administration.

Highlights

Early Childhood Education

• $777 million for the Child Care Assistance Program to assist families across the state in affording child care
• $748 million for the ISBE Early Childhood Block Grant to extend access to support services and high-quality preschool slots for families with children up to age three
• $21.7 million to operate the Department of Early Childhood

K-12 Education

• Continues to fully fund the evidence-based funding model for K-12 education
• $1.3 million increase for career and technical education programs
• $35 million for after school programs
• $5 million for the teaching mentorship program, $30 million to the Teacher Vacancy Grant Pilot Program, and $8 million to the Minority Teachers of Illinois Scholarship to tackle the ongoing teacher shortage

Higher Education

• $721 million for Monetary Award Program (MAP) funding
• In Fiscal Year 2026, a projected 151,000 students could benefit from MAP Grants – up from 126,864 in 2019.
• $50 million to the AIM High Grant Program
• $2.5 million for the Common Application Partnership Initiative – or Common App – to make applying for college easier and more streamlined

Violence Prevention and Public Safety

• Funding to hire and train 200 new state troopers – a total of two new cadet classes
• $180 million to the Restore, Reinvest, Renew (R3) program
• $70 million to build up the Reimagine Public Safety grant program
• $495 million to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority

Health and Human Services

• $600 million for safety net hospitals
• $100 million for the child tax credit for eligible low-income families with EITC
• $15 million for the Medical Debt Relief Pilot Program
• $268 million for HOME Illinois

Economic Development and Infrastructure

• $5 million to the Illinois Grocery Initiative
• $75 million will go toward enhancing youth employment opportunities
• $7.5 million to the Fast-Track Workforce program to provide employee screening, recruitment and job training development to employers
• $10 million for the Made in Illinois program – a game-changing opportunity for small and mid-sized manufacturers to access up to $50,000 in matching funds to support innovation and strategic technological advancements

SPRINGFIELD – We’ve all been there: at work, hanging out with the family or trying to relax when you get a call from an unknown number trying to sell you a product. State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. is working to put an end to these automatic sales calls – in turn providing consumers with greater peace and protection.

“Our cellphones are meant to connect us with friends and family to conduct business but they’re slowly being turned into relentless advertising channels we didn’t sign up for,” said Sims (D-Chicago). “We’re going to put control back in the hands of consumers by protecting them from unwanted and intrusive automatic sales calls.”

Under House Bill 2435, companies could not use automatic dialing to sell Illinoisans goods and services unless the person expressly consented to be contacted in that manner. People across the country receive about 50 billion robocalls a year, with a less than 2% success rate – signaling a desire from residents to no longer receive the calls.

CHICAGO – Illinois’ national standing in the film and television industry continues to rise – most recently after seeing $650 million in film production expenditures for the second year in a row.

“Illinois continues to lead the nation in attracting film and television companies from around the world thanks to the Film Production Tax Credit,” said State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-Chicago). “The film industry brings millions of dollars to Illinois’ economy – and, in turn, enhances opportunities for good-paying jobs in the communities that need them most.”

SPRINGFIELD – Recognizing mistakes can turn into learning opportunities, State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. worked across the aisle to pass a measure to allow low-level, first-time weapon offenders to apply for a Firearm Owner’s Identification Card upon completing a diversion program.

“We are taking a balanced approach to recognize people can learn from their past mistakes and deserve a second chance,” said Sims (D-Chicago). “Diversion programs acknowledge rehabilitation while ensuring existing safeguards remain firmly in place.”

Under Sims’ measure, participants who complete the First Time Weapons Offense Diversion Program could apply for a FOID card after receiving a court order demonstrating successful program completion –so long as they meet all other existing eligibility requirements. The program would only be for individuals charged with a Class 4 felony – the lowest class felony charge for weapons.

CHICAGO – State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. is praising the work done by the Illinois General Assembly to affirm the Illinois Funds – a mutual investment used by local governments – top AAA rating.

“When I look at the budgets we have passed in recent years, I see the work and years of fiscal responsibility paying off. We were able to pay down our bills, put money back in the pockets of the state’s hardworking families, and prioritize our local governments,” said Sims (D-Chicago). “Illinois is a stand-out state when it comes to putting the needs of our residents first – and we do so in a responsible, equitable way.”

The Illinois Funds lets government agencies use the Illinois State Treasurer’s resources to safely invest their funds while enjoying the economies of scale available from a $19+ billion pooled fund investment portfolio. The AAA rating by Fitch is the firm’s highest rating which is based on the pool’s credit quality, maturity, diversification, and management.