Monday, August 3, 2020
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois State Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza lays out the fiscal land mines the deadly global COVID-19 pandemic is laying for state finances in the latest issue of her Fiscal Focus magazine. The only path forward without life-endangering shut-downs of much of the state’s social safety net is federal assistance to help Illinois and other states to make up for revenues lost to the pandemic.
“I’m not going to sugar-coat it: I believe big challenges lie ahead for the State of Illinois,” Mendoza said. “Without question, Illinois – and every other state, frankly – will need financial support from the federal government. This is not aid for historic problems we were on a path to solving – but for these new holes COVID-19 has blown into our budget.
“The federal government can bring much-needed stability back to state and local government. Taxpayers, bond houses, businesses, human service providers, schools, and colleges and universities need to know that together we will pull through this unprecedented time.”
Read more in “A perfect storm: Hoping for a comeback, Illinois faces a new tempest: COVID-19.”
In this issue of Fiscal Focus, readers will also hear from some of the state’s human service providers about the challenges they face as they offer services during a deadly public health crisis.
Readers will learn about Illinois’ vote-by-mail efforts, a state program that uses marijuana revenue to help rural independently owned pharmacies keep their doors open, and the final cost of a showdown over promised pay raises to state employees.
For all of this and more, including a timeline of some of the pandemic-related developments that occurred in Illinois as COVID-19 took hold this year, visit https://illinoiscomptroller.gov/news/fiscal-focus/.
###
