Stuart Passes Balanced Budget and Sends Several Bills to Governor

SPRINGFIELD, Ill.— Working to make life easier and more affordable for everyone in Illinois, state Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, helped pass another fiscally smart budget, creating no new taxes on working families and no severe service cuts, while advancing her own legislation.

“One issue we can all agree on, no matter our political party, is that the price of our basic needs are far too high, and far too many in our community are really struggling every day,” said Stuart. “Budgeting is complex, but the hard work has paid off as we pass a balanced budget.”

The chaos of the federal government has caused Illinois families to struggle, making the cost of living to skyrocket while social safety nets are axed. Because of these obstacles, Stuart is advocating for a budget that will ease the financial burden too many families in our state are facing.

• This year’s budget fully funds:
• Safety net hospitals, providing care regardless of health insurance status,
• After school programs, and
• the Local Government Distributive Fund, creating more tools for property tax relief.

Highlights of the budget include investments in:

• The Fresh Act, giving Illinoisans who lost SNAP benefits a one time SNAP credit,
• State social services by identifying and reallocating in government efficiencies,
• Families and students by supporting a Back to School Tax Relief program and investing in affordable school lunches, and
• Working class people by temporarily freezing the gas tax, beginning in July.

Stuart additionally sent eight bills to the governor’s desk to be signed into law, continuing her work to improve higher education, while championing a measure expanding access to menopause treatments.

Stuart championed legislation to:

1. Require insurance to cover longer prescriptions of menopause treatment like hormone replacement therapy,
2. Ensure higher education students’ access to opportunity and transparency in their education,
3. Creating new safeguards to protect seniors from financial fraud and physical abuse, and more.

“My experience as an educator is a factor in every decision I make on educational legislation, making improvements because every Illinoisan has the opportunity to receive higher education,” said Stuart. “I’m committed to continuing my work to secure educational opportunity, quality and affordability for every prospective student in our community and across the state.”