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IL: Pls Ask Gov Quinn to veto the half-measures budget.

Written by: Joy Bunton on Jun 2, 2009 6:37 PM EDT

  • As their scheduled spring session drew to a close, lawmakers failed to raise adequate revenues to protect vital health, education and human services from Illinois' multibillion-dollar shortfall.  Thus, they passed a spending plan that includes no more than 50 percent of the funding necessary for important services in the fiscal year that begins July 1.  And individual programs could fare far worse than that.

    • Without further action, that means either:
    • * Early childhood, mental health and other critical programs soon will face devastating cuts, if not elimination, or
    • * Their funding will run-out after several months, or
    • * A combination of these two awful consequences—any of which spells immense pain for children, families and communities.
      •

    Governor Quinn has said he doesn't want to sign a bad budget, and has asked to meet with legislative leaders to further discuss ways of avoiding horrendous program cuts.

  • There are two ways you can act today:


  • Ask Governor Quinn to veto the half-measures budget, and continue working with legislators toward a better solution.  You can contact the Governor at 312-814-2121, email him at governor@state.il.us or his website at http://www.illinois.gov/gov/contactthegovernor.cfm.

  • Contact and thank your legislators who showed leadership in voting for income-tax proposals that would have protected many critical programs from cuts—but that ultimately fell short of passage.

  • Check the voting record on House Bill 174, a powerful package of measures that included raising the income tax to 5 percent, expansion of the sales tax to include more services, and boosting of tax credits and exemptions for greater fairness.  Please thank the senators who voted "yes" on HB174 last Saturday.

    Check     the voting record on Senate Bill 2252, which would have increased the income tax to 4.5 percent and strengthened the Earned Income Tax Credit.  Please thank the representatives who voted "yes" on SB2252 late Sunday.

    • Please encourage legislators to continue pursuing a better budget for kids, balanced with an increase in the income tax.  And keep watching Voices for Illinois Children for further budget updates.

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