Quinn’s Leadership Will Keep Illinois from Falling Over State’s Fiscal Cliff

Contact: Scott.Vogel@seiuhcil.org or James.Muhammad@seiuhcil.org

(March 26, 2014, Chicago) – Governor Pat Quinn gave his annual budget address to the legislature today and released his fiscal year 2014-15 budget.

The Governor proposed a budget that provides hope for working families by maintaining the state’s 5% income tax rate to prevent Illinois from falling over the fiscal cliff.

SEIU HCII is praising the Governor Quinn’s budget proposal as an example of his leadership and concern for working families across Illinois. The Governor’s “responsible budget” protects a host of programs and vital services that support low-income workers and families such as education, early learning and child care services, college affordability, public safety, home care services for seniors, and investments in infrastructure.

If the temporary income tax is rolled back on January 1, 2015 it would cost the state an estimated $1.5 billion in lost revenue and leave a gaping $2.4 billion budget shortfall. Such a scenario would utterly devastate low-income and working families and result in massive cuts to programs and vital services.

In response, Keith Kelleher, President of SEIU Healthcare Illinois Indiana, issued the following the statement:

“Budgets are moral documents that describe our values and demonstrate our priorities.

“Governor Quinn laid out in very stark terms the immense fiscal challenges facing Illinois. But this Governor is acting responsibly and demonstrating his concern for working families and not allowing them to suffer because of our state’s broken budget system.

“We applaud the Governor for leading on this critical issue and recognizing that in order to build an economy that gives all working families real opportunity and economic security, we must first provide a strong foundation and protect our vital services. It is critical that we invest in our child care and early learning programs and allow seniors and those with disabilities to live independently due to our home care assistance programs.

“We honor and recognize the Governor’s ongoing and fervent support for raising the minimum wage in Illinois as well as his passion for providing fair and decent wages to workers in his budget address as a means to strengthen our families and our communities.

“Today’s announcement by Governor Quinn proved once again what real leadership and courage looks like when it comes to standing up for working families.”

SEIU Healthcare Illinois & Indiana unites more than 92,000 healthcare, home care, nursing home and child care workers across two states in the fight to raise standards across industries, to strengthen the political voice for working families and for access to quality, affordable care for all families.

Visit www.seiuhcilin.org for more information.