Willis: State Budget Prioritizes Essential Services, Relief for Those Impacted by COVID-19 Pandemic

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Kathleen Willis, D-Northlake, issued the following statement upon the General Assembly’s adjournment this week:

“First and foremost, I want to thank all of our frontline workers for their tireless efforts. Nurses, doctors, first responders and many other essential workers are doing a tremendous job to meet this unprecedented challenge. We are forever grateful to all these men and women for putting themselves at risk to save lives and keep our communities safe and healthy. 

“Our goal during this special session was to address the state’s most urgent needs amid the pandemic. We focused our efforts on ensuring that essential services remain operational, recognizing the need to provide additional resources to people in our communities significantly impacted by this crisis.

“Although more remains to be done, we made tough decisions to pass a balanced budget that includes $719 million in new funding for public health and full funding for unemployment. We also increased protections for workers affected by the virus, expanded access to tele-health and mental health resources, and took steps to support property taxpayers and help schools adapt to remote e-learning. Looking forward, I am committed to using every available resource within state government to help us move forward in the fight against COVID-19.”