Springfield –(ENEWSPF)–May 25, 2016. Today members of the Illinois House of Representatives passed a spending plan but failed to pass a revenue plan to pay for it, despite a recent analysis from the Fiscal Policy Center at Voices for Illinois Children that showed a $7.1 billion revenue shortfall for the state.
At the same time the Governor continues to insist on linking his “Turnaround Agenda” to the passage of a budget.
The General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn on May 31st, leaving the possibility that Illinois will enter a second year without a budget.
The Responsible Budget Coalition releases the following statement:
The House of Representatives’ spending plan is woefully short of the revenue needed to provide vital services that support families, communities, and small businesses. This plan fails to give providers the certainty and stability they need to deliver critical state services.
With just days left until the end of the legislative session, the Governor and lawmakers should be laser focused on passing responsible budgets for FY 16 and FY 17. Non-budget agendas should not block fully funded investments in services that save lives, provide safety, attract business and good paying jobs, allow children to grow and succeed, and ensure independence and dignity for seniors and those with disabilities.
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The Responsible Budget Coalition (RBC) is a large and diverse coalition of more than 250 organizations concerned about state budget and tax issues. It includes organizations that serve children, families, veterans, seniors and people with disabilities; education groups concerned about early learning, K-12 and higher education; labor unions; faith-based and civic organizations; immigrant and refugee families; and many others.
The RBC is a non-partisan, trusted source of information on state budget and tax policy and a leader in the fight to pass a budget that chooses revenue over cuts to vital services.
The individual organizations that belong to the RBC represent a diverse range of interests but are united by these three common principles:
- Adequate revenue to support state priorities and make smart investments
- No more cuts to vital programs and services
- Fairness in raising revenue
Source: http://www.responsiblebudget.org
