Human Services
Released November 14, 2017
On October 11, 2017, the Cook County Board of Commissioners voted to repeal a penny-per-ounce tax on sweetened beverages.
Released February 16, 2016
In both magnitude and meaning, state elected officials have no greater obligation than passing a General Fund budget into law. Consider magnitude first. Last fiscal year the General Fund budget provided for the expenditure of $35 billion. No question, that constitutes a sizeable expenditure of taxpayer money. It is also meaningful. While nearly $11 billion was targeted for Hard Costs like debt service and other legally mandated payments, over $24 billion was invested in current services across communities statewide. In fact, over 90 percent of FY2015 General Fund expenditures on services covered education (35 percent), healthcare (30 percent), human services (21 percent), and public safety (7 percent). To be clear, it is those services which provide for the basic health and well-being of the citizenry, and go to the very heart of why we elect a Governor and General Assembly in the first place.
By failing to pass a General Fund budget for FY2016, elected officials are basically punting the following difficult, but fundamental, responsibilities to:
- Make decisions about how to allocate scarce resources among the aforesaid four service priorities;
- Identify which of, and by how much, those services will be cut, despite their high priority, if the state’s current woeful fiscal condition is not addressed; or
- Raise the tax revenue needed to fund those core services to the amounts needed to satisfy demographically driven demand.
Released August 1, 2007
A comprehensive list of 2007 legislative bills from both sides of the Illinois General Assembly, organized by subject area.
Released May 1, 2007
An analysis of HB 2253, House Amendment 1 of the 95th General Assembly
Released January 12, 2006
A Fact Sheet on why funding human services requires fiscal reform.
Released June 4, 2007
A primer on how Illinois finances long-term care for older adults.
Released February 24, 2010
Reduced funding in FY2011 would continue long-term pattern of spending cuts, harm vulnerable populations and fall disproportionately on small to midsized businesses, hurting the state economy.
Released December 13, 2010
Gender Disparity in Human Services analyzes how the FY2011 Illinois Human Services budget has targeted severe cuts to important service areas of particular concern to women.
Released March 22, 2012
This Report, co-authored by CTBA and the Social Impact Research Center, highlights the consequences of state budget cuts to human service programs.
Released January 29, 2008
The Citizen's Guide to the Illinois Budget and Tax System reviews the technical elements of the Illinois budget and tax system.