State Rep. Patti Bellock (R-47th) | Contributed photo
State Rep. Patti Bellock (R-47th) | Contributed photo
State Rep. Patti Bellock (R-47th) voted for the budget bill (H.B. 318), which passed the Illinois House 64-48 on Wednesday.
The bill funds shortfalls for the 2015 budget, which runs through June 30.
“Our bipartisan agreement minimizes the impact on the most vulnerable children and families in our community while we get the state budget back on solid ground,” Bellock said. “Tough times require tough decisions, and that is what we have made. The good news is, funding for our most vital priorities will continue undisrupted while we work on crafting a budget for the new fiscal year that begins on July 1.”
The bill ensures over 80 percent of the funding gap will be filled by utilizing unused money in various special state funds not needed for what they were allocated for during the current fiscal year, amounting to $1.3 billion. The remaining amount comes from a wide spending reduction of 2.25 percent across all state programs through June 30, excluding payments for pensions, state employee health care, and funding for services for the mentally ill, developmentally disabled and autistic children.
Child-care funding for low-income families will also continue during fiscal year 2015.
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