SPRINGFIELD—State Senator Elgie R. Sims Jr. (D-Chicago) released the following statement after the governor signed an executive order for a comprehensive 2020 Census effort in Illinois:

“It is vital that all communities are accounted for in the next census. Minority communities historically have been underrepresented.

“I commend the governor for taking this crucial step to ensure that census data is as accurate as possible to provide the necessary resources for every community.

“As state leaders, we must do all we can to ensure that all of our communities are equally represented. This executive order will help guarantee that government funding helps all communities by making sure every single Illinoisan is accounted for in the upcoming census.”

SPRINGFIELD—State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-Chicago) released the following statement after a balanced budget for the next fiscal year was signed into law:

“I am proud that we as state leaders were able to work together to pass a budget plan that focuses on the state’s priorities and starts to fix the problems created by the last administration.

“The mood was different this year as we went to the budget negotiation table. There was an air of urgency to do as much as we could to restore financial stability and regain the trust of Illinoisans.

“I believe we accomplished that with investments in key areas that will help educate our young people from preschool through college. We are also protecting Illinoisans by investing more in gun violence prevention.

“We are giving the people of Illinois what they deserve, a budget plan that puts us back on the path toward fiscal stability. I commend my colleagues and the governor for helping us get to this point.”

SPRINGFIELD—A plan to fund numerous construction projects throughout the state passed through the Senate today.

State Senator Elgie R. Sims Jr., a Chicago Democrat, supported the comprehensive infrastructure plan that totals more than $45 billion.

“This is a meaningful investment in communities throughout Illinois,” Sims said. “Modernizing the state’s infrastructure will solve many safety and traffic issues while spurring economic growth by creating jobs.”

The last major capital plan was in 2009. The current measure will fund a variety of different projects, including fixing 2,300 bridges, renovations at community colleges and road construction.

Capital investments are as follows:

“It is completely unacceptable that we’ve closed down bridges because of safety concerns, such as the busy Lake Shore Bridge near my district,” Sims said. “After hosting a town hall on this issue, I know we are addressing some of my constituents’ key concerns, including $33 million for renovations at Chicago State University and $150 million for an airport in the South Suburbs.”

The capital plan is set to head to the governor’s desk for approval.