Budget

SPRINGFIELD – Following the passage of the state’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget, State Senator Rachel Ventura released the following statement:

“As the Trump Administration’s tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest Americans continue to reverberate and threaten essential social services, countless working families across our state are facing an affordability crisis jeopardizing their stable access to food, health care, housing and education. State leaders have a moral responsibility to meet the needs of our constituents and protect the programs and services so many Illinoisans rely on.

SPRINGFIELD – In response to Governor JB Pritzker’s budget address today, State Senator Rachel Ventura (D-Joliet) issued the following statement:

“As the Trump Administration continues to sow chaos through the federal government, it is our responsibility as a state to act as a stabilizing force and champion of everyday people and communities. Our residents deserve to thrive, not merely survive.

“I am committed to passing a budget that prioritizes the working class and secures funding for working families in an era of rising costs and devastating federal funding cuts. I was gratified to hear that the governor’s budget proposal includes a significant investment in affordable housing projects and repairs to crumbling health care infrastructure. These are commendable measures to address the want of resources for too many working residents in our state. 

Ensuring resources are available for local communities to preserve their natural resources plays a huge role in environmental equity and access.

That’s why this year’s budget includes $50 million for the Open Space Land Acquisition and Development grants that will help local governments enhance community park projects—on top of an additional investment in implementing health and equity zones to confront the social and environmental factors that contribute to systemic inequity.

To support increased access to nutritional foods, this year’s budget will send $30 million in new funding to the Department of Agriculture for the Local Food Purchasing Cooperative Agreement Program. The program supports local, regional and underserved farmers and producers through food purchasing agreements.

Further, the budget includes $10 million to start a Clean Energy Career and Technical Education pilot initiative to assist high schools with developing curriculum and programming that supports EV manufacturing technical education, and additional funding for EV and household energy efficiency rebates.