Rep. Sharon Chung Highlights Public Safety Measures, Cost Cutting for Families

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Measures to promote public safety, promptly address local issues and cut costs for families are a few major accomplishments by state Rep. Sharon Chung, D-Bloomington, this session.

“I want our tax dollars to be spent on what matters to this community,” Chung said. “While Washington continues to languish in gridlock, Illinois is picking up slack and introducing new programs to put money back in the hands of working families. I worked to invest in our children’s future. We’re increasing funding to early childhood education to allow 5,000 new families to enroll their kids in preschool, and putting funds into MAP grants to expand access to higher education.”

“Our public safety is always a priority for me, so I fought hard to ensure law enforcement gets the resources they need to keep their departments equipped, and to recruit, train and retain new officers,” Chung said. “I voted to improve our healthcare by investing millions into birthing centers that will reduce maternal fatalities, while also putting in long hours to cut duplicative government bureaucracy and slash red tape that wastes taxpayer dollars.”

Continuing her effort to rebuild Illinois’ fiscal house, Chung passed a new state budget that looks line-by-line through spending to cut nearly $75 million in administrative costs in order to invest state resources in services local families value while growing the state’s rainy day fund. Chung prioritized new investments in early childhood education which will create new opportunities for 5,000 of Illinois’ youngest learners, $350 million more for elementary and secondary schools, and additional access to college financial aid such as MAP Grants. 

Chung prioritized public safety in the state budget, making smart investments in community-based approaches to violence prevention while also taking steps to ensure police have the resources they need to combat crime. Chung voted to hire and train 200 new state troopers, and help local departments recruit and retain officers.

Chung also passed major reforms to help cut the cost of living. A $10 million state investment will eliminate $1 billion in family medical debt. Chung also voted to eliminate a state sales tax on groceries, and give local governments more tools to get serious about property tax relief. 

“I was proud to spearhead efforts that will help our community build a stronger future,” Chung said. “I led a public safety measure that will allow us to receive federal assistance for floods, which will help keep us protected from the long-term devastation of these kinds of natural disasters. In response to an incident at a local college, I took the lead on a new law ensuring that employees with public universities and community colleges maintain payment in the event of a winter weather emergency. I am happy to be able to listen to our community and promptly fix the problems that face us.”

Chung passed Senate Bill 331, which ensures that contractors employed with public universities and community colleges are compensated for days that school is closed during a winter weather emergency. She also led a successful effort on Senate Bill 2628, which brings Illinois into compliance with flood insurance standards so communities in Illinois can have the relief they need in the case of flooding.