SPRINGFIELD — After hearing the governor’s budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2027, State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) issued the following response:

“Today’s budget proposal reflects an important starting point for the work ahead — one that acknowledges critical priorities like education, housing and health care, but also reminds us that proposals are the beginning of a conversation, not the final plan. We must approach this process with both urgency and a commitment to justice and equity for all Illinois families.

“While nothing in this proposal is final, I will not pretend that every community’s needs are fully met. As chair of the Revenue Committee and an organizer who has spent my life listening to working families, I know we must fight for a budget that truly elevates those voices. That means pushing for additional housing resources, robust homelessness prevention strategies and protections for health care access — especially in light of threats coming from the federal level, where attempts to withhold or restrict federal funding put critical programs like SNAP, Medicaid and supportive services at risk.

“This budget process will require tough conversations and hard decisions. I am prepared to work collaboratively with my colleagues — across both sides of the aisle — to deliver a fair, balanced and equitable budget that reflects the lived realities of Illinoisans, uplifts immigrant families, honors working people and stands up to federal interference that jeopardizes the well-being of our communities. The people of Illinois deserve nothing less.”