Gabel Statement on End of Legislative Session

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Robyn Gabel, D-Evanston, released the following statement highlighting the state legislature’s special session last week:

“The COVID-19 pandemic has created extreme hardship for our families and our local communities, forcing small businesses to close and putting Illinoisans out of work. This legislative session was like unlike anything we have faced before, but it was very clear that we had to take action to support those battling this pandemic and provide necessary resources to keep our state’s critical services operating.

“We passed a responsible state budget that prioritizes the health and economic needs of all Illinoisans. This budget includes increased funding for Medicaid and unemployment, new funding for public health providers, full funding for our local schools, housing assistance and additional protections for programs that our families depend on.

“During this legislative session, we also worked to provide increased protections for essential workers and first responders in our community who risk their health and safety to keep our essential businesses and public services running. To make sure everyone has the ability to participate in our election process in a safe and secure way, we worked to expand vote-by-mail options so that no one is kept away from participating in the upcoming election.

“Our efforts were focused on supporting those who have been most impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, making sure our essential services can continue operating uninterrupted and providing assistance for our state’s economic recovery. We will continue to face many uncertainties in the weeks and months ahead, and I’m committed to providing the necessary resources and support that our community depends on.”