CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The negative financial effect of the pandemic should soon be behind Illinois.
Gov. JB Pritzker Tuesday afternoon announced a deal to pay off the remaining $1.36 billion of the unemployment insurance trust fund debt. One of the leaders to put it together, State Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris), said no matter what, some people won’t like it.
“Unions stepped up to figure out how to get us to a plus-$1.7 billion net surplus, which should take us through - should we have any downturn in the economy - which will provide stability for businesses, and also provide for the worker the ability to know that their benefits would not be cut,” Rezin said at a crowded news conference in the governor’s ceremonial office at the Capitol.
Pritzker emphasized the bipartisanship between unions, business groups, Democrats, Republicans just weeks after a fractious election campaign.
“Republicans and Democrats are delivering a historic state investment of $1.8 billion to the Unemployment Trust Fund. This bipartisan agreement eliminates the final portion of the $4.5 billion debt forced upon our state during the pandemic and saves Illinois businesses and taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars over the next decade.”
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