Crawford Helps Advance Budget to Cut Costs, Expand Food Access, and Strengthen Communities

CHICAGO – A state budget focused on affordability is now law thanks to state Rep. Michael Crawford, D-Chicago, who helped pass a balanced budget prioritizing direct relief for Illinoisans and investing in the resources Washington is trying to slash.

“Families across Illinois are doing everything right—working hard, raising their children, and contributing to their communities—but too many are still struggling under the weight of rising costs,” Crawford said. “That’s why this budget is so important. It delivers relief where it’s needed most, protects critical services, and invests in the future of working families. Every Illinoisan deserves the chance not just to get by, but to succeed, and that’s exactly what we’re fighting for.” 

Crawford’s work this legislative session concluded in passing a fiscally and socially responsible budget that relieves the cost-of-living crisis while making key investments in food security and other state services at risk of federal funding losses or total elimination.

The budget takes a number of smart steps to help families make ends meet, including:

– Nearly $100 million to help families afford groceries and put food on the table. As Washington slashes nutrition assistance for more than over 100,000 Illinoisans, Crawford’s budget includes a new FRESH Program, which provides a one-time credit of up to $400, giving families a lifeline while they work with providers to reactivate benefits. Additionally, the Crawford-backed budget expands free and reduced-cost school lunches ensuring children affected by SNAP cuts have a sustainable meal, and funding for the Illinois Grocery Initiative to expand access to fresh food in food deserts.

– Making back-to-school shopping more affordable by cutting the state sales tax on clothes, supplies, and other essentials for students, families, and teachers beginning in August.

– Freezing the gas tax to give families a break at the pump.

– Restoring property tax relief grants for schools so communities statewide can get relief.

– $500 million focused on affordable homes for working families, including investment in new home construction to meet the needs of working families who do not qualify for traditional assistance, but still face a significant lack of quality homes in their price range—a growing population known as the “missing middle.”

This budget keeps families safe and strengthens communities. As families face healthcare access threats like Medicaid cuts, the new state budget delivers full funding to maintain and operate critical safety-net hospitals, with an additional $10 million dedicated to support Federally Qualified Health Centers for the most vulnerable families. Public safety initiatives including homelessness prevention and community-based violence prevention will also receive full funding.