With a little more than a month remaining in the spring legislative
session in Springfield, advocates for Illinois children say it's
important to understand the factors driving the state's fiscal year 2014
budget debate and what can be done to help avoid damaging cuts to
education and other critical programs.
David Lloyd, senior policy analyst with the Fiscal Policy Center at Voices for Illinois Children,
told advocates on a web conference call this week that maintaining funding
for their priorities depends on a sustainable state budget that raises
necessary revenues.
“These are difficult choices, but I think
eventually the math wins," Lloyd said. "Without additional revenues to
pay the liabilities such as pensions and Medicaid, Illinois will be
forced to cut other programs. There’s just no other way around it."
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Illinois has been ranked as a leader in the nation’s
biotechnology industry, and is located in the heart of the most thriving
bioscience region in the U.S., according to a recent report.