SPRINGFIELD – Senator Emil Jones III (D-Chicago), who was recently named Deputy Majority Leader of the Illinois Senate, issued the following statement in response to Gov. JB Pritzker’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget plan:

“Governor Pritzker presented a reality-based budget this afternoon. He touched on important areas, such as funding for human services, but like any plan in these difficult times, it’s not perfect.

“As a major advocate for improving the quality of life for Illinois residents, I applaud the proposed additional funding for human services. I also commend the governor for providing more funding to help people with disabilities remain in their homes.

“However, the state should move more quickly in getting funds to schools that are facing difficulties due to a lack of resources. I understand if we can’t make the full scheduled funding increase, but the longer we wait, the more students in those schools will face challenges after graduation.”