SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — A day after the budget was passed out of the House Executive Committee, the Senate held their own subject matter hearing on the proposed FY2026 budget which received significant backlash from Republican lawmakers.
The budget will spend $55.16 billion with a predicted $137 million surplus. Evidence based funding will be fully funded with a total of $18 billion going into education.
State Sen. Elgie Sims (D-Chicago) is the lead budgeteer for the Senate Democrats. Sims said in a press conference that the state will be fully funded with a new revenue plan.
"There are no broad based tax increase in this budget," Sims said. "There's not an increase on the individual or corporate income tax. We are trying to make sure the individual pays their fair share and corporations, who are the most profitable also pay their fair share."
Many programs and state agencies will receive the funding they asked for, such as Illinois State Police that will receive $448 million from the budget to help fund its services.
On the other side some programs were cut. One of them was the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults which was proposed by the Governor back in February. The Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors will continue to receive $410 million in funding.
Another cut was the Afterschool for Children and Teenagers which will only receive $30 million after it failed to receive the $50 million it was promised last year.
A program that was flagged for cuts by the Senate GOP was funding for the developmentally disabled. State Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) has been fighting for more funding for the developmentally disabled for years.
Guidehouse recommended that workers who support the developmentally disabled receive a pay raise of 0.50 dollars. In the current budget, workers receive an 0.80 dollar raise. However, Rose pointed out in committee the total appropriations had not changed, which Rose said that means the state has cut 630,000 hours of working time.
"This nonsense, cynical and I mean cynical sleight of hand where they tell you they're actually doing something when they're stripping away the hours of care," Rose said. "Who looks you in the eye and says 'I care,' but actually cuts the number of hours that are available to bathe, feed and toilet a fellow human being it's just so cynical."
In the committee, Sims agreed with Rose who said they have a shared vision in supporting the developmentally disabled. Sims said some of the budget issues and cuts is a symptom of what's happening in Washing D.C. and the budget impasse under former Gov. Bruce Rauner's administration.
"The reality is we are still climbing out of the hollowing out of state government which occurred during the previous administration," Sims said. "We are still dealing with the challenges and closures of mental health fundings and healthcare facilities."
Illinois must pass a budget before May 31.
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