Response to Governor Rauner’s 2019 IL State Budget

Another state budget proposal by Governor Rauner and another attack on Illinois’s working families…Illinois’ billionaire governor continues to try to take out his political and fiscal failures on working people by defunding the institutions that matter to our quality of life and our future, including health care and pensions, public education, and the state’s university system. Rauner’s 2019 Budget Address is a classic case of slashing the state budget by making struggling municipalities, school districts, and universities pick up the tab. And, ultimately, this falls on the shoulders of workers.

In this budget address for fiscal year 2019, Rauner tries to take credit for improved school funding which he had actually vetoed last year! But worse yet, Rauner’s proposals would wipe out these additional funds and more! Namely, Rauner seeks to push school employee pension costs back onto districts. This would inevitably result in deeper budget cuts for the school districts, hurting students and workers.

State university employees, including those who work for the University of Illinois Hospital system, continue to be targets of Governor Rauner. In his 2019 budget proposal, Rauner is leaving higher education funding flat at the meager 2018 funding levels while simultaneously asking the universities to pick up employee pensions costs. Again, this will result in further programmatic cuts. Additionally, universities will be forced to increase tuition, making a bachelor’s degree even further out of reach for many Illinois residents.

Finally, all state and university employees, including our brothers and sisters in the Secretary of State’s Office, are facing a doubling of their health care costs. Governor Rauner is essentially proposing all state employees enroll in the bottom-tier health insurance plan already available. On top of that, Rauner is proposing nearly $24MM in budget cuts at the Secretary of State’s Office, this is after $35MM in budget cuts the year prior!

Members of SEIU Local 73 continue to fight Rauner’s anti-worker and anti-family agenda, but we need to continue to fight for and elect politicians who have our backs. This March 20^th state primary elections is an opportunity to show Rauner that he is a lame-duck! Your brothers and sisters in Local 73 are going to be out canvassing for candidates who serve working people and not millionaires. Join us! Contact Local 73’s Political Director John Kohlhepp at jkohlhepp@seiu73.org to get involved.