Ill. Black Caucus to Hold “Stop the Cuts Rally”

Deborah Bayliss | As of Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Ill. State Sen. Donne Trotter (Dist.-17) is urging community residents to join the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus “Stop the Cuts” rally scheduled for Thursday, June 25 at Chicago State University’s Douglas Hall-Breakey Theater, 9501 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Drive in Chicago.

“Our community is under attack and being threatened by (Ill.) Gov. Bruce Rauner with his persistence to cut senior programs, Medicaid, summer jobs and other programs,” Sen. Trotter told the Chicago Citizen Newspaper Monday morning as to why the Black Caucus is holding the rally. “These cuts he’s proposing

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Ill. State Sen. Donne E. Trotter (D-Chicago)

are just the tip of the iceberg. It’s like he’s threatening, ‘I’ll make your lives miserable....’ The community needs to stand together to let them know we are not props, we are citizens of Illinois.”

Budget negotiations in Springfield stalled as Democrats say Gov. Rauner is attempting to include what’s now being referred to as a scaled-back version of his Turnaround Agenda, first presented in Feb. during his State-of-the-State address with about 44 bullet points and now narrowed down to just a few such as changing the worker’s compensation system, restricting lawsuits and freezing property taxes, as part of the budget negotiations. Rauner’s Turnaround Agenda failed passage in the Ill. General Assembly’s spring session.

Ill. Democrats hold supermajorities in both the house and senate and are also at a standoff with Rauner over how to close a $6 billion deficit in next year’s budget.

Democrats reportedly are calling for Rauner to approve a tax increase to help balance the budget without cuts to programs such as Medicaid, education and social services. But Rauner reportedly has said he won’t consider a tax hike until Democrats agree to concede on some of the items in his Turnaround Agenda.

When asked to confirm whether Gov. Rauner won’t consider a tax hike until Democrats give him some of what he’s calling for in his Turnaround Agenda, Rauner spokesperson, Catherine Kelly emailed a statement saying, “Illinois is in a fiscal crisis because for years Speaker (Mike) Madigan and the politicians he controls overspent taxpayer money and made deals to benefit the political class, and it is irresponsible to ask taxpayers to pour more money into a broken system. Governor Rauner is trying to transform state government to boost the middle class and help the most vulnerable by freezing property taxes, enacting workers' comp and lawsuit reform, and enacting term limits and redistricting reform.”

Sen. Trotter said Democrats would like negotiations to continue without maneuvers from Rauner like saving $2.2 billion by altering the pension program.

“The supreme court says you cannot do that,” said Trotter. "He’s even threatening cuts to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), something he cannot do; that’s not his money. That money comes from the utility companies. We want residents to come out and get the facts and the real story about what’s going on in Springfield. This rally is too important to miss. It impacts you so please come out.”

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Ill. State Sen. Jacqueline Collins (Dist.-16th)

Ill. State Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins (Dist.-16th) said in a released statement, “With budget negotiations now held hostage to a pro-corporate agenda, working families stand to lose. We will put them front and center this summer as we address the barriers ordinary Illinois residents face on the path to a better life.”

Senate Democrats have put together what they’re calling ‘an agenda for working families’ which includes:

• Corporate loopholes (SB 2148): Ends a variety of corporate tax loopholes, including automatic tax breaks for production outside Illinois. Ending these corporate giveaways will bring the state $334 million in additional revenue.

• Minimum wage (SB 2145): Increases the state minimum wage to $9 per hour on July 1, 2015 and by $0.50 each subsequent year until the minimum wage reaches $11 on July 1, 2019. Provides a three-year tax credit for employers with fewer than 50 employees.

• Illinois College Promise Program (SB 2146): Covers tuition and mandatory fees for up to two years at any of the state’s 48 community colleges as long as the student continues to meet all applicable eligibility requirements.

• Healthy Workplace Act (SB 2147): Guarantees up to seven paid days of sick time to full and part time employees. Sick time would accrue at a rate of one hour for every 30 hours worked. Employees would not be able to take sick time for the first 120 days of employment.

• Tuition Tax Credit (SB 2149): Qualifying parents or students who are Illinois residents can claim a tax credit for higher education expenses incurred at any eligible public or private university, community college, vocational school or other postsecondary educational institution located in Illinois.

The rally will take place from 5:30 to 8 p.m., for more information, call (773) 933-7715.

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