Following passage of a State budget that prioritizes health care and essential services, State representatives Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, issued the following statement Saturday:
“First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge all of our frontline workers during this difficult time and thank all the nurses, doctors and first responders for their courage while they fight COVID-19 every day. With these workers in mind, I joined my colleagues in passing a responsible budget that prioritizes public health, health care, and supporting small mom and pop businesses along with helping individuals with unemployment support while making sure we support domestic violence shelters, homelessness prevention and senior services.
“In addition to directing over $400 Million toward COVID-19 testing and local health efforts, the budget keeps our promise to fund pensions and maintains our commitment to education from early childhood through college. We also added flexibility to the budget, granting the governor and state agencies the ability to allocate resources as effectively as possible during the uncertainty of a pandemic.
“Homeowners deserve relief, and I backed an effort to immediately suspend property tax late payment fees and to create a one year deferral on exemption reapplication paperwork for seniors, Veterans and disabled individuals.
“We also took steps to streamline workers’ compensation in the wake of COVID-19, adding protections and increasing the amount of unemployment that workers in need can receive.
“While there is uncertainty ahead of us, proactive steps have been taken to help families during this unprecedented crisis. More work remains, and I look forward to working with our community as we handle this crisis.”
—Representative Stephanie Kifowit, IL House District 84