For the second year in a row, the Illinois Legislature and the Governor have failed to pass a state budget. The Governor’s refusal to fully fund crucial social services, health and safety initiatives, and public education is endangering the lives of residents of Brighton Park, which is experiencing one of the most violent years in recent history. If a budget agreement is not reached, the devastating impact of budget cuts in the last year will only continue to threaten communities across the city and state.
Without a state budget by the end of June:
- Child Care programs will be unable to continue their operations
- The Parent Mentor program, which places parents in the classroom with teachers as assistants, will lose all funding at a time when class sizes could balloon to over 40 students per class.
- Thousands of low-income families will not have access to Medicaid or assistance on gas and electric bills.
On Wednesday, the CEO of CPS, Forrest Claypool announced that Chicago Public Schools will not open in September without funding from the State. While funding for public education from Springfield is imperative, the Mayor, the City Council, and CPS must support progressive revenue solutions in Chicago to limit the impact of the cuts. Illinois is dangerously close to taking away every student's right to a public education. We cannot afford to wait for action from Springfield.
Please join us in calling on our city and state elected officials to demonstrate leadership and take action.
