PEORIA, Ill. – The work is underway at the state capitol to craft the fiscal year 2024 budget.
Jehan Gordon-Booth (D-Peoria) is the lead budget negotiator for her party as both sides of the aisle work to determine what will and will not be funded.
“It’s now more important than ever that we practice fiscal discipline. We got our 7th credit upgrading about a week and a half ago, and I think it’s important for us to stay on a consistent part to really righting our fiscal ship,” Gordon-Booth says.
Gordon-Booth says preliminary work to shape the budget is currently being done in committees. She says one big focus is determining what is a need for the state and what is a want.
“We have to focus on the needs. And the needs range from the health and human services needs, the education needs, frankly that take up over 80% of our budget, to then having about 20% to do some of the other things that we look to do,” Gordon-Booth said.
Education is one of the priorities that Gordon-Booth says should be a priority in the budget. In addition, she also wants to see a focus on economic development, and funding to help address workforce shortages in the state.
“There’s a lot of conversation that you hear about the teaching shortage, which is real. Lot of conversation around the nursing shortage, which is real,” Gordon-Booth said. “But frankly, when you look across the spectrum of economic and unemployment, everybody is short workers.”
One solution Gordon-Booth says is to have funding in the budget to support training programs to address unemployment.
The deadline to have a budget up for approval is May 19th.
