Lilly, Harmon host district forum on budget and state legislation
State Rep. Camille Y. Lilly, D-Chicago, partnered with state Sen. Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, to discuss the balanced budget signed into law earlier this month and new bills passed during the spring legislative session at their end of session town hall last week.
“This was a significant spring legislative session this spring in that we passed a bipartisan and balanced budget that produced a $15 million surplus, allowing us to pay down a significant amount of our backlog of old bills and, most of all, funds Illinois’ schools with an extra $350 million from the state,” said Lilly. “The generated state dollars could begin the process to lower property taxes for home owners, while ensuring that our local schools are fairly funded.”
Lilly and Harmon presented the breakdown of the new budget plan that does not raise taxes while producing a surplus of funds that could be used to pay down old bills. Following last year’s landmark education funding reform bill approved last summer, the state honored its obligation to fund its schools with an additional $350 million to school districts. The two West Side officials also spoke about the necessity for Illinois to adopt a fair tax structure to help the middle class grow the economy.
“It is time for Illinois to implement a fair income tax that helps the hardworking people of this state hold on to more of their paychecks,” Harmon said. “There are better ways to structure tax rates, as many other states already have learned. A fair state income tax would result in a healthier bottom line for working families, as well as for the state government they help to support.”
Lilly and Harmon represent Chicago’s West Side, Oak Park, River Grove, Elmwood Park, Franklin Park and Melrose Park. Join her weekly newsletter to stay up to date with events and news from the 78th District.
Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
Email Ray Hanania at rghanania@gmail.com.
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