Chung Held Community Town Hall to Hear from Residents, was Joined by Special Guest Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – State Rep. Sharon Chung, D-Bloomington, was joined by special guest House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch at a community town hall to give local residents an opportunity to discuss the issues that matter most to them with state leaders.

“I was happy to host Speaker Welch to hear from my neighbors about the issues that matter to our community, issues like cost-of-living, higher education and affordable healthcare,” Chung said. “During this time of uncertainty, taking action to preserve our institutions and promote opportunity in working-class communities is vital. We will fight for a lower price of prescription drugs, greater tuition assistance, reliable flood management and lower property taxes, regardless of the status of federal funding.”

Chung recently joined with Speaker Welch to craft a budget focused on cutting the cost-of-living and promoting opportunity for working-class Illinoisans. The budget extended grants to support local grocery stores and combat food deserts, doubled the child tax credit for low-income families, and bought millions in lingering medical debt.

“Now more than ever, people need to know they are being heard, so while my title may be Speaker of the House, I think it’s even more important to be Listener of the House,” Welch said. “Families and seniors in big cities, suburbs, and small towns alike are feeling the burden of rising costs and lost opportunities—and we see Washington politicians are creating more problems than they’re solving. But we can still move forward as a state when we work together, when we listen to one another, and when we prioritize common sense and the common good.”