Sims statement on the passage of Illinois’ sixth balanced budget

SPRINGFIELD – Majority Caucus Appropriations Leader Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-Chicago) released the following statement after the Senate passage of the Fiscal Year 2025 budget:

“In keeping with our shared commitment to fiscal responsibility, we have approved a budget that is balanced, responsible and invests in people in all corners of our state.

“As chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I set a goal that our budget would serve the best interests of the people of Illinois. By promoting economic growth, supporting education, ensuring public safety and enhancing the overall well-being of our communities, we will build a stronger, more prosperous and more equitable future for all residents of our great state.

“This budget reflects our shared values and our commitment to making Illinois a better place to live, work and raise a family. I am proud to have led a stable budget that addresses our current needs.”

Fiscal Year 2025 Budget

The Fiscal Year 2025 budget builds upon the responsible spending decisions the state has made and balanced budgets we have passed in recent years, bringing forth a budget and other legislation that prioritizes education, public safety, economic development, social service, local governments and more.

Highlights

Fiscal Responsibility – 6^th balanced budget

• This budget builds on five years of historic fiscal progress with balanced budgets, nine credit rating upgrades, the elimination of the bill backlog, and more.
• Alongside the smart spending decisions of the previous fiscal years, the budget continues to pay down our bills, invest more money into retirees through fully funding pensions, and save for the future.

Education

Early Childhood Education

• $14 million to launch the Department of Early Childhood – a new agency to focus on administering early childhood education programs
• An additional $75 million will be sent to the ISBE Early Childhood Block Grant – putting in place 5,000 more slots in preschool deserts
• $36.5 million to support higher participation in the Child Care Assistance Program

K-12 Education

• Continues the commitment of a $350 million increase toward the evidence-based funding model for K-12 education
  • The state will topple $2 billion toward the evidence-based funding model since its inception with this investment
• $10.3 million increase for Career and Technical Education programs
• $3 million for State Literacy Plan Implementation – a roadmap to enhance and unify core literacy instruction efforts statewide
• $45 million for the Teacher Vacancy Grant Pilot Program

Higher Education

• $711 million for Monetary Award Program (MAP) funding
  • In Fiscal Year 2025, a projected 146,000 students could benefit from MAP Grants – up from 126,864 in 2019
• $8 million for the Minority Teacher Scholarship Program

Violence Prevention and Public Safety

• Funding to hire and train 200 new state troopers – a total of two new cadet classes
• $200 million to the Restore, Reinvest, Renew (R3) program
• $45 million to build up the Reimagine Public Safety grant program
• $200 million to enhance after-school and summer youth programs

Health and Human Services

• $290 million for HOME Illinois
• $2.4 billion for services for people with developmental disabilities, including a $1 per hour wage increase for Direct Support Professionals
• $155 million for safety net hospitals
• $50 million for a child tax credit for eligible low-income families with EITC

 

Sims leads measure to enhance and streamline pretrial services

SPRINGFIELD – To streamline a fair and just pretrial process, State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. collaborated with the court system to enhance the Office of Statewide Pretrial Services through a measure he passed through the Senate Sunday.

“The Office of Statewide Pretrial Services will serve as a beacon of fairness, equity and efficiency in this critical phase of the legal process,” said Sims (D-Chicago). “By assessing risk rather than wealth, the office will ensure that pretrial decisions are rooted in principles of justice, not financial privilege.”

Following the passage of the Pretrial Fairness Act in 2021, the Illinois Supreme Court created the Office of Statewide Pretrial Services. It employs pretrial service officers who conduct pretrial investigations and provide pretrial supervision. To date, the office has completed 11,932 investigations and 11,607 defendants have been ordered to its supervision.

Sims’ measure would codify the office into law, allowing it to provide pretrial services to circuit courts and counties that don’t currently have pretrial services agencies. It further would ensure the office creates – and enforces – uniform standards to pretrial services.

Sims played an instrumental part in Illinois’ transition toward a new pretrial system that allows courts to hold violent offenders who would ordinarily be able to use cash to pay for release through the passage of the SAFE-T Act.

“We must ensure that every individual, regardless of background or circumstance, is afforded the same rights and opportunities during the pretrial phase,” said Sims. “The Office of Statewide Pretrial Services will play a vital role in upholding the presumption of innocence, safeguards due process, and champions the values upon which our legal system was founded.”

House Bill 4621 passed the Senate Sunday.

Sims to streamline pretrial services

SPRINGFIELD – To streamline a fair and just pretrial process, State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. is collaborating with the court system to enhance the Office of Statewide Pretrial Services.

“The Office of Statewide Pretrial Services will serve as a beacon of fairness, equity and efficiency in this critical phase of the legal process,” said Sims (D-Chicago). “By assessing risk rather than wealth, the office will ensure that pretrial decisions are rooted in principles of justice, not financial privilege.”

Following the passage of the Pretrial Fairness Act in 2021, the Illinois Supreme Court created the Office of Statewide Pretrial Services. It employs pretrial service officers who conduct pretrial investigations and provide pretrial supervision. To date, the office has completed 11,932 investigations and 11,607 defendants have been ordered to its supervision.

Sims’ measure would codify the office into law, allowing it to provide pretrial services to circuit courts and counties that don’t currently have pretrial services agencies. It further would ensure the office creates – and enforces – uniform standards to pretrial services.

Sims played an instrumental part in Illinois’ transition toward a new pretrial system that allows courts to hold violent offenders who would ordinarily be able to use cash to pay for release through the passage of the SAFE-T Act.

“We must ensure that every individual, regardless of background or circumstance, is afforded the same rights and opportunities during the pretrial phase,” said Sims. “The Office of Statewide Pretrial Services will play a vital role in upholding the presumption of innocence, safeguards due process, and champions the values upon which our legal system was founded.”

House Bill 4621 passed the Senate Executive Committee Wednesday.

Sims recognizes May 1 as Alpha Phi Alpha Day

SPRINGFIELD – Senator Elgie Sims proclaimed May 1, 2024 as Alpha Phi Alpha Day– recognizing the significant contributions made by the fraternity, particularly in the areas of service, leadership and community empowerment.

"I am proud to recognize Alpha Phi Alpha for their unwavering dedication to uplifting communities and fostering positive change," said Sims (D-Chicago). "Their commitment to service and excellence serves as a guiding light for us all, and I am honored to proclaim May 1 as Alpha Phi Alpha Day in Illinois."

Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for Black men, was founded on Dec. 4, 1906, at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Since its inception, the fraternity has been dedicated to the principles of scholarship, manly deeds, and love for all mankind, serving as a beacon of hope and inspiration for countless individuals across the country.

Sims, a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha, led Senate Resolution 931 to recognize the fraternity's longstanding commitment to social justice, civil rights, and community service. Through initiatives such as Project Alpha, which aims to educate young men about the importance of responsible fatherhood and healthy lifestyles, and the fraternity's ongoing support for historically Black colleges and universities, Alpha Phi Alpha continues to make a profound impact on society.

“Today we honor the fraternity's legacy of leadership and service while encouraging all citizens to reflect on the principles of brotherhood, scholarship, and service that Alpha Phi Alpha represents,” said Sims.

Senate Resolution 931 was adopted Thursday.