Faver Dias Announces Fiscally Responsible Budget, Major Progress for Affordable Healthcare, Cutting Costs for Families

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Capping costs on lifesaving inhalers, ensuring coverage of hormone therapy for people overcoming serious menopause symptoms and cutting expenses for families with a fiscally responsible budget are just a few of the accomplishments state Rep. Laura Faver Dias, D-Grayslake, can take away from this legislative session.

“With rising costs making life harder for working Illinoisans, I came to Springfield focused on cutting essential costs and providing economic relief on vital services. The budget I helped craft this year is going a long way to making those goals a reality,” Faver Dias said. “We are giving working families a tax credit to help make ends meet and putting major funding into expansions of high-quality childcare. Investments in maternal health measures as well as public education will help give our kids the starts they need to live up to their potential. To help prevent lingering healthcare bills from holding people back, we also cut over $1 billion dollars in medical debt.”

Continuing her effort to rebuild Illinois’ fiscal house, Faver Dias advocated for a 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. 

The budget was also built to support families, as evidenced by a new $50 million child tax credit that will put more money in the pockets of modest-income families raising children under 12—helping working families who are struggling with rising costs at the grocery store. Faver Dias also voted to eliminate a state sales tax on groceries. Faver Dias also worked to put $350 million in evidence-based funding into public school classrooms-in addition to over $1 billion in the past four years. 

“Healthcare needs to be affordable for everyone without exception and legislation I passed reflects that,” Faver Dias said. “Cutting costs on lifesaving inhalers for everyone who needs one will alleviate the serious financial burdens they can put on people with respiratory diseases. Ensuring that hormone therapy is affordable for every person dealing with debilitating menopause symptoms will also bring us much closer to equitable healthcare for every Illinoisan.”

Continuing her focus on lifesaving healthcare accessible for all Illinoisans, Faver Dias passed Senate Bill 3203 to cap costs of inhalers at $25 for a 30-day supply. She also passed House Bill 5295 to ensure that people going through menopause have doctor-prescribed hormone therapy as an option to alleviate symptoms.