Hernandez Emphasizes Need for School Funding After Voting for Bipartisan Budget

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez, D-Cicero, member of the Latino Caucus, released the following statement after House Democrats and Republicans voted to override the governor’s veto on their bipartisan budget plan:

“Social service organizations are turning away our most vulnerable citizens. Our schools and universities may not be able to reopen in the fall. These are the things I thought about when voting to override the governor’s veto on our bipartisan budget. It was not an easy vote, but it was necessary to ensure our children’s future is put ahead of politics.

“The budget that House Democrats and Republicans voted on today is an honest, balanced budget that cuts nearly $3 billion in state spending, and doesn’t just increase taxes irresponsibly but does so while expanding tax credits to help working families keep more of what they earn. This budget will allow us to invest our limited resources on the things that truly matter, educating our children. Because education is key to expand economic opportunity, and the governor’s two year budget crisis has brought our public colleges and universities to near collapse.

“So today, I was reminded of what we can do when we put politics aside and work together to avoid financial catastrophe, and provide much needed funding to our schools. However, there is still much more work to be done, and I will continue working with colleagues from sides of the aisle to fix Illinois’ financial problems, provide real property tax relief, and expand access to high quality education to all of the residents I represent.”