February 17, 2021
In response to Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s State of the State address today, Heartland Alliance issues the following statement:
We support an Illinois budget that includes adequate revenue, which is fairly raised, and robust funding for vital programs and services that so many Illinoisans – including our program participants – rely on to make ends meet.
Today Governor Pritzker outlined a state budget that protects current investments in human services, healthcare, and public health supports. We support those continued investments as well as Governor Pritzker’s call to close corporate tax loopholes and decouple Illinois from unwise federal tax provisions.
However, given our state’s financial health, without significant federal COVID relief and other revenue-raising measures, we are concerned that payments to vital human service providers could start to become delayed and our fiscal backlog could threaten our state’s social safety net. This is a serious risk while we are continuing to battle the COVID-19 crisis and ensuing economic downturn.
Illinoisans need bold, sustainable investments to get them through this crisis and begin recovery. This is especially true for Black and Latinx Illinoisans, who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and systemic failures related to healthcare and economic security. We urge Governor Pritzker and our state legislators to prioritize equity and ensure that our communities are supported in the coming year.
