SPRINGFIELD — Assistant Majority Leader Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) made the following statement following the passage of a budget bill for the State of Illinois for Fiscal Year 2021:

“I believe ta very important part of the budget we passed today is that we will make our full pension payment as planned. That is such a cornerstone of our ongoing efforts to address our underfunded pension systems, alongside our current COVID-19-related budget issues at hand.

“I’m pleased we kept our education and higher education funding level with last year so that our local schools and institutions can address remote learning and continue receiving the evidence-based formula funding. They are building our future workforce to help stabilize our local economy.

“We also provided more resources for public safety and our human services safety net as well. People in the 42nd District need some consistency and peace of mind right now, and these programs help provide some security for those needing help.”