State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) hosted three town hall meetings this week to discuss the state budget, school funding reform and other issues facing our state.
Murphy held the town halls across her district in Schaumburg, Elk Grove Village and her hometown of Des Plaines.
“In-person town hall meeting are a fundamental way to get feedback from the constituents I represent,” Murphy said. “Thank you to everyone who attended to discuss the critical issues we are facing.”
Discussions centered largely on the ongoing state budget stalemate and school funding reform proposal that passed in both houses of the General Assembly in late May.
Murphy also offered an in-depth look at the state budget impasse with a presentation about the state’s spending priorities and the long term cost the state budget will have on Illinois families.
While Sen. Murphy’s first series of town hall meetings has concluded, she looks forward to hosting more meetings in the future.
Murphy’s key legislative initiatives this spring included increasing women’s access to health care, protecting First Amendment rights and increasing the transparency and accountability of Medicaid contracts.
SPRINGFIELD- State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) issued the following statement after she voted to support a two-year property tax freeze. The package proposal, made up of Senate Bills 482 and 484, passed the Senate with bipartisan votes of 38-11-9 and 37-11-9, respectively.
“The number one complaint I hear from my constituents is the skyrocketing property taxes are forcing them out of their homes, and they have requested action by the legislature to stop this trend.
“Today, I am proud to stand with my colleagues, and even some Republicans, who supported freezing property taxes. This bill is a start to long overdue property tax relief to homeowners in the Northwest suburbs.
“I encourage the Illinois House and Governor Rauner to quickly pass and sign this legislation to give Illinois families a break.”
###
SPRINGFIELD- The Illinois Senate passed a package of bills today that included over $3 billion in cuts, money-saving reforms and new revenues to produce a balanced budget. State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) supported the package and released the statement below following the vote.
“For the first time in over two years, this budget finally provides stability to a state that has been lurching from one crisis to the next.
“Until our state has the certainty of a balanced budget, students will continue to flee the state and universities and community colleges continue to crumble. People that use services for developmental disabilities will continue to fear the services they depend on will be eliminated, and businesses will continue to take their investments elsewhere due to the state’s instability.
“This budget mirrors the framework of the governor’s budget. It contains the exact amount of spending that the governor proposed, with many of the reforms he requested, like procurement reform, school funding reform and a property tax freeze. For the first time in two years, we now have a responsible, balanced budget that will finally bring stability to our state.”
###
SPRINGFIELD- State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) released the statement below after a series of initially bipartisan bills that would have resulted in a balanced budget failed to advance through the Illinois Senate.
“For months, our caucus has been negotiating with Senate Republicans toward a balanced, bipartisan budget. Unfortunately, recent actions this week prove the Senate Republicans are refusing to compromise as they failed to support the bills in the Grand Bargain.
“This budget package included money-saving reforms and $3.8 billion in cuts, largely proposed by the Republicans. It would have provided vital funding for universities and community colleges, services for those with developmental disabilities and given stability to the state’s business community. This was a step to a balanced budget for the state.
“Each day we are without a budget the state goes $11 million more into debt. Universities will continue to layoff staff and hike tuition rates. Services for those with disabilities will continue to shut down and the instability prevents job growth. It’s time for the Senate Republicans to drop the partisan games and come back to the negotiating table.”
###
Page 111 of 129