SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House Progressive Caucus, representing nearly two-dozen progressive legislators in the Illinois House, today issued the following statement in response to Gov. Pritzker’s State of the State and budget address:
“Illinois has made tremendous progress to help working families and those who have been left behind throughout Gov. JB Pritzker’s tenure as Governor. As he begins his second term and delivers his vision for the state today, the Illinois House Progressive Caucus stands firmly behind his plans to invest in our core priorities and the ongoing fight against injustice and discrimination.
“While we have made important strides forward, too many Illinoisans face great challenges. As pandemic aid ends and prices rise, the people we represent have trouble finding affordable food, childcare, housing, services for the most vulnerable in our communities, mental health services and healthcare. Immigrants and refugees continue to face dire uncertainty about how they will care for their families here. People need higher wages and more opportunities to live the dream we all deserve as Illinoisans and Americans.
“As we will outline in the coming weeks, our Progressive Caucus is committed to supporting an aggressive agenda of legislation and policy ideas this spring to take these issues head on and to build on the Governor’s vision. We look forward to working with Gov. Pritzker and our colleagues in the Legislature to put progressive ideas at the forefront of policies that make Illinois better today, and even better tomorrow.”