CHICAGO — Illinois Legislative Black Caucus members expressed considerable support, for Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposed budget Wednesday following Pritzker’s annual budget address.

“It’s clear that we need a budget that addresses the lack of access to health care, affordable housing, economic development and high quality education in Black communities,” said Joint Black Caucus Chair Sonya M. Harper (D-Chicago). “One of our top priorities in this budget making process is to ensure our most vulnerable communities and services are protected.”

 The Black caucus also outlined their legislative priorities for 2022 during their “State of Black Illinois Address.”

Among the group address, some members praised Pritzker for his commitment to what he called the ‘Illinois Family Relief Plan’ which provides tax and fee relief for working families, increases public safety efforts and provides additional funding for Illinois schools, hospitals and human services.

AURORA – After Gov. JB Pritzker’s State of the State Address and Budget Proposal on Wednesday, State Senate Assistant Majority Leader Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) released her reactions to several of the governor’s planned 2023 budget strategies.

“Overall, I heard the governor lay out some aggressive proposals to help Illinois stay the course of steady improvement in recent years,” Holmes said. “Funding our schools, money for our communities, resources for our police and tax relief for homeowners and motorists. There's a lot to like in Governor Pritzker's budget plan and it could be a big win locally.”

Holmes was pleased to hear the governor’s aspirations to increase funding and other resources for law enforcement and crime prevention.

“We have more officers on the street today than we did several years ago, and we should also expect more funding for additional training,” Holmes said. “My community has been very vocal about needing more and better trained police officers on our streets to stem the tide of crime in towns and cities statewide.”

“We've worked together to rebuild Illinois' finances and now that stability gives us a chance to grow our economy, pay our debts, invest in our priorities and provide relief,” Holmes said. “Our credit status under the previous administration compared to now having seen two credit upgrades under Gov. Pritzker demonstrates our improving fiscal outlook. I look forward to digging into the plan and working to produce a responsible, balanced budget that keeps our state moving forward.”

Chicago- Following the early release of Jason Van Dyke from prison, State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) issued the following statement:

“I wholeheartedly condemn the early release of former Chicago Police officer Jason Van Dyke. From the brutality of the number of shots that he fired and the clear evidence of the camera recording the incident, Van Dyke was clearly guilty for the murder of Laquan McDonald.”

“There are working class Black and Brown and white rural residents stuck in prison, convicted of offenses with far less evidence and this release does nothing except highlight the tragic and inherent flaws and contradictions of our criminal legal system and the public safety status quo. This is why we must continue to work for change.”

SPRINGFIELD –State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) argued for stronger penalties against employers in violation of the One Day Rest in Seven Act by introducing Senate Bill 3146 in the Senate Labor Committee Wednesday.

“The One Day Rest in Seven Act is one of many invaluable protections for workers in the state,” Villanueva said. “We have to make sure the expectations of employers everywhere are standard at all levels of operation.”

SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker gave his annual Budget and State of the State addresses Wednesday, after which State Senator Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) issued the following statement:

“I am pleased to see that this budget proposal recommends $70 million in appropriations for the new 9-8-8 hotline crisis response services for our neighbors who are living with chronic mental health challenges. This is one piece of a larger set of systemic changes that must take place soon to address the unprecedented toll on mental health caused in part by the pandemic and by chronic economic injustice and violence.”

SPRINGFIELD – To provide assistance to families of Illinois social workers killed in the line of duty, State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield) is championing a measure that will treat the death of a Department of Children and Family Services worker similar to the death of a police officer.

“In response to the fatal stabbing of Deidre Silas, we must ensure the families of those who serve our most vulnerable populations are cared for,” Turner said. “Deidre died as a dedicated public servant for our community, and this is the least we can do to honor her commitment to our state.”

SPRINGFIELD – To close the health care gap for people living in rural parts of the state, State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield) is championing a measure to provide financial incentives to physicians who perform medical services in rural areas.

“Advancing this bill will mean that people across the state will have more attainable access high quality health care,” said Turner. “We must work to restore access to quality and abundant care in rural Illinois.”

SPRINGFIELD – Following a press conference responding to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s State of the State address, the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus (ILLC) issued this statement:

State Sen. Karina Villa (D-West Chicago) said, “We heard good news from the Governor regarding his priority investments, and overall, his budget proposal is a good starting point for further negotiations with my fellow legislators. There are many aspects of this proposal the Latino Caucus supports and have the potential to really make a difference in our community, such as family tax relief, violence prevention, investments in healthcare, education and businesses.”