SPRINGFIELD, Ill.— State Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Champaign, helped pass another fiscally smart budget, working to make life easier and lower costs for Illinois families. 

“Every year, we debate long and hard for a budget with the intention of making every day easier for everyone in Illinois. It’s not an easy process, and it’s one we leave knowing we can’t make everyone happy,” said Ammons. “With that said, we’re passing a balanced budget that doesn’t require any additional taxes on working families, and I think we all consider that a win.”

Because of the chaos and destruction of the Trump Administration, Illinois families are struggling to keep their heads above water. With high costs and more social hardships, Ammons advocates for a budget that will make life easier and more affordable for everyone in Champaign and Urbana, and across Illinois.

This year’s budget fully funds:

• Homelessness prevention programs,
• Safety net hospitals, providing care regardless of health insurance status, and
• Community-based violence prevention programs.

Highlights of the budget include investments in:

• School lunch programs,
• More than $300 million in new funding for elementary and secondary education,
• Afterschool programs for young people, and
• Working class people by temporarily freezing the gas tax, beginning in July.

“While this budget may not be perfect, we will never have a perfect budget— especially with such devastating cuts coming from Washington,” said Ammons. “This budget takes steps to make life in Illinois a bit easier, and I’m committed to continuing the work to fight for the high-quality state we all deserve to call home.”