Chicago, IL – State Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) on Wednesday released the following statement:

“The Governor’s proposals contain drastic cuts.  Though I support some of his proposals, I believe that the proposed cuts to vital services will harm our community.  We need to look closely at how the details of this plan will affect residents as we go through the budget line by line.”

 “Improving education is fundamental to our success and growth.  I applaud the proposal to increase education spending by $90 million to help after school programs and provide college scholarships.  The best way to guarantee a stable economic future in Illinois is to educate our children.  Improving early childhood education builds a stronger foundation for our kids to receive the best education possible.  Increases to MAP grants will allow more students to go to college and compete in a global job market.”    

 “I am pleased that we will be closing the Tamms super-max prison.  This underused facility is a drain on the state budget and is an icon of the problems facing our criminal justice system.  In addition, investing in diversion programs and alternative sentencing for non-violent drug offenders can save us millions of dollars in incarceration costs each year.  These alternatives routinely result in better re-entry and lower recidivism rates at a lower cost to taxpayers.”

 “I look forward to working to close tax loopholes that allow big business to take advantage of our state.  Giant corporations have the advantage of a “loophole lobby” that works to create financial opportunities for big business to exploit.  By working together, we can close these loopholes and secure more revenue for small business development and economic growth.”

For more information, contact Cassidy’s Constituent Service Office at (773) 784-2002.

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