Last week, Governor Quinn presented his budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year. While the proposed budget seems to have spared most workforce programs from budget cuts and we are encouraged by the Governor’s support of these programs, many support services needed for individuals to secure and maintain employment will be dramatically reduced if this budget stands.
Our state is facing a 13 billion dollar budget deficit. Illinois communities are already hurting from the failure of legislators to stop damaging cuts and delayed payments to education, human services, public safety and more. This budget would result in the loss of tens of thousands of jobs, counter-acting any job creation efforts underway in Illinois. Rather than slash jobs just as our economy begins to rebound, and reduce vital services when they’re needed more than ever, lawmakers should reform the state’s tax structure and finally fix the broken budget.
What You Can Do
- Contact your state representative and senator. Call their office registering your concerns or set up a meeting while they are home in their districts over spring break. To find out who your elected officials are click here.
- Ask them to maintain the level of funding proposed under Quinn’s budget for job training and workforce development programs.
- Let them know about the dire consequences of cutting human services and education at a time of record unemployment, when families need these safety nets and work supports more than ever.
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Urge them to take a balanced approach to addressing our budget crisis that includes adequate revenue to fund all our essential priorities–not just education but health care, human services, public safety and more.
- Ask them to maintain the level of funding proposed under Quinn’s budget for job training and workforce development programs.
Key Workforce and Related Budget Items
Proposed Increases or Level Funding
- Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s (DCEO) “Job Training Programs” line item is proposed at $15,000,000, an increase of 17% from last year’s appropriation. This line item contains the Employment Opportunities Grant Program (EOGP), the Employer Training Investment Program (ETIP) and the Job Training and Economic Development program (JTED), among others.
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“Grants for Organizations related to Workforce and Economic Development”, also in DCEO’s budget, would be level-funded at $5,000.0000 for fund-specific grant-making, and Career and Technical Education Grants to Colleges out of the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) budget would also see no change from last year.
Proposed Reductions
- Adult Education Grants in the Illinois Community College Board budget were reduced 8%, from $25,000,000 in last years’ budget to $23,000,000 proposed for this year. These grants assist those who lack basic educational skills (including reading, numeracy, and English language skills), do not have a high school diploma or GED, or who lack literacy in English.
- The proposed Department of Human Services budget includes a $24 million cut (more than 75%) to the Child Care Assistance Program’s non-TANF education and training eligibility category. This program has enabled thousands of low-income parents, primarily single mothers, to escape dead-end jobs and poverty by getting the education and training they need to earn family-supporting wages and provide a better life for their families.
- Other damaging cuts to Human Services include
- Child Care programs reduced nearly 10%
- Community Mental Health programs cut 44%
- Domestic Violence shelters cut over 9%
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The proposed budget would reduce the State Board of Education’s budget by 16% or $1.2 billion, drastically impacting K-12 education, including layoffs of 17,000 teachers.
Contact us for more information on these items, for assistance with legislative calls or visits, and other opportunities to take action.