SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the southwest suburbs, issued the following statement in response to Gov. JB Pritzker’s budget address:

“I am glad to see that Gov. Pritzker’s proposed budget demonstrates his commitment to repairing the damage our state incurred during the last four years. It is time for us to work together to restore stability to Illinois.

“The additional $375 million the governor plans to invest in K-12 education marks a major win for Illinois students and educators. Educating our children must be a priority as we consider a plan to move Illinois forward and this additional funding will be instrumental to southwest suburban schools as they look to reduce their reliance on property taxes.

“I also admire the governor’s proposal to increase funding by $10 million for MAP grants on which thousands of Illinois students rely and to provide an additional $10 million for the AIM HIGH program, which provides thousands of dollars of financial aid for middle class students in my district. As we face the rising costs of higher education, it is important that opportunities remain available to all Illinois students who want to pursue a post-secondary degree.

“This budget includes several proposals that will benefit our state, but there is still a lot of work to do. Several questions must be answered about the governor’s plan to consolidate municipal pension systems. The value of streamlining our pension system must be balanced with the need to ensure our first responders and other municipal employees have some local control over their pensions.

“Overall, this budget marks a step in the right direction as we build a spending plan for Illinois. I look forward to working with Gov. Pritzker and my fellow legislators to create a balanced budget that moves our state forward.”