Social service agencies that depend on state funding are closely watching Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner ahead of his budget address Wednesday. That’s because some services - like jobs for young people - aren’t being funded at levels they were before.
William McNary heads Citizen Action. His group opposes Rauner’s decision to keep lower income taxes.
McNary says that move - means the wealthiest Illinoisians are paying less money to the government. He also says that means there’s less cash for programs that were cut - that offered part-time jobs for young people.
"Let’s be clear, if we employed teenagers, if we employ youth, then we would make sure that those people are the ones who would put the money back into the economy."
Governor Rauner has advocated for creating new taxes on some services like attorneys’ fees and golf club memberships to fund those programs.
Rauner has said the previous governor did not sign a budget that’s balanced - which is why programs that employ youth aren’t receiving their full state funding.