ILBC fights for the
Black Community
Since Governor Rauner took office and proposed a 33 percent cut to programs that are critical to advancement of the
black community, the Black Caucus has been fighting on behalf of the black Illinoisans. The fight began when the governor
made his initial budget address to the General Assembly, where he outlined his plans to balance the budget on the backs of
middle- and lower-income families. His plan scaled back aid for college students, in some cases eliminating entire programs
that could lead to higher property taxes and made drastic cuts to programs that
help our most vulnerable residents. Following the governor’s budget address, the
Black Caucus unhesitatingly stood and vowed to fight for the needs of the black
community.
The Black Caucus took their fight to the community to empower residents to
publicly respond to the governor’s slash-and-burn budget proposal. Rallies hosted
by the Black Caucus were held on the South and West Sides of Chicago, the South
Suburbs, Peoria, Rockford and Champaign.
The message resonated throughout the state. Why are we forcing those who can’t
help themselves to suffer? Why will they feel the cuts the most? The first program the
Black Caucus fought to bring back was the Child Care Assistance Program. CCAP
provides access to affordable child care for more than 179,000 children throughout
the state, giving working parents a hand with the exorbitant and ever-increasing
cost of child care. Not only were parents affected, but an estimated 70,000 child
care workers faced possible layoffs. The governor instituted special rules that kicked
thousands of kids out of the program and sent hundreds of daycares into financial
turmoil.
Through the diligence and perseverance of Black Caucus members, the special rules were reversed and funding was
eventually restored.
To drive the point even further home about the disparity created by not having a
budget in place, the Black Caucus released a telling report about how the budget
disproportionately affects the black community. African-Americans make up
nearly 15 percent of the population, yet 30 percent live in poverty, meaning that
those who use social programs to climb out of poverty are put at an even further
disadvantage without critical resources. Even more troubling is how the budget
impasse virtually wiped out funding for violence prevention, which is evident in
the rise in crime.
0Another issue highlighted in the report was the impact that the budget impasse had on minority college students. The
Monetary Award Program grants assist with tuition cost and other financial needs for college students. Minority students
are disproportionately low-income, with a large percentage of students being the first person in their family to attend college.
Cutting MAP grants only puts another obstacle in place for our students who are trying to contribute to society. Legislator
after legislator filed measures to fund MAP grants and higher education, but
nearly all were vetoed by the governor.
The Transportation Construction Apprenticeship Readiness Training program,
which provides minorities, disadvantaged people and women with access and
training to work in the highway construction trades, fell victim to Rauner’s
ambiguous budget strategy. The Black Caucus issued a statement stating their
dismay. Senate Black Caucus
Chairman Emil Jones went as far
to say, “I just find it particularly
interesting that the governor is
willing to let successful job programs suffer but cut deals to find funding for
downstate prisons.”
Chicago State University was on the verge of closure, and the Black Caucus
united to ensure the predominantly African-American campus didn’t close its
doors. A legislative effort led by the Black Caucus secured funding to keep the
doors at CSU and several other state universities open. The legislation also
included funding for MAP grants.
Most recently, the Black Caucus fought for legislation to provide funding for a host of human service programs including
violence prevention programs, the Community Cares Program and community mental health to name a few. This year the
governor proposed drastic cuts, and the Black Caucus united and overcame adversity and delivered for the Black Community.