With child care costs spiraling out of control, Tony DelGiorno and Mike Mathis call on State Representatives Sara Wojcicki Jimenez and Avery Bourne to stand with working families and override SB 730 veto

Springfield – On Friday, Governor Bruce Rauner vetoed Senate Bill 730, which would have made child care affordable for tens of thousands of additional families and created thousands of jobs.

SB 730, which passed with large majorities in the General Assembly, would have started to repair the Child Care Assistance Program after Bruce Rauner unilaterally cut thousands of working parents out of the program and eliminated child care entirely for parents who are in school or training. Recent figures from the state show that the parents of over 55,000 children lost child care as a result of these draconian cuts.

SB 730 would have immediately restored child care to parents who are in school or experiencing homelessness while boosting the local economy through a gradual expansion of affordable child care to tens of thousands of additional families.

Child care costs in Illinois consume a huge share of family income: a year of infant care in Illinois costs more than a year of in-state tuition or a year of rent. The child care expansion legislation would have put an estimated $150 million back into the hands of working families who are currently paying out of pocket or have left the workforce in order to cover the cost of private care.

Yet State Representatives Sara Wojcicki Jimenez and Avery Bourne sided with Bruce Rauner’s failed leadership and disordered priorities by voting no on SB 730. Democratic challengers Tony DelGiorno and Mike Mathis today called on the Rauner-backed incumbents to stand with working families and override the veto in the fall.

“It’s a shame that we have a State Representative who’s so beholden to Rauner’s millions that she can’t even vote for commonsense job-creating legislation like Senate Bill 730. It’s time for Sara Jimenez to prove she’s not just bought by Bruce, and vote to override this veto in the fall,” said DelGiorno.

“Too many working families are struggling to make ends meet, facing the costs of housing, child care and transportation. Senate Bill 730 would have made child care affordable to help tens of thousands of additional families who want to work and improve their circumstances. Rep. Avery Bourne turned her back on area families, job creation and our local economy when she voted against child care assistance for families working their way out of poverty. She has a chance to make this right by voting to override the governor’s veto,” said Mathis.

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