Wehrli: Grant Funding Restoration is a Step in the Right Direction

State Representative Grant Wehrli today said Governor Rauner’s restoration of $26 million in grant funding for human service programs in the 2015 state budget is an important step in the right direction. The Governor’s decision to restore funding is based on new revenue estimates from the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (COGFA) that show the state can expect an additional one-time revenue increase of $300-$500 million for the current fiscal year.

“I’m very glad that additional revenues will allow funding to be restored to programs that help many families in our communities. This is very good news,” said Representative Wehrli. “I’m also very glad that it was done in a responsible way – making sure we will have the money before we spend it. That’s a big step in the right direction as we work to get our state budget and our finances back on track”

In all, more than $21 million in grants will be restored to programs administered by the Department of Human Services including funeral and burial for the indigent, autism and epilepsy services, and addiction prevention. $4.5 million will be restored to Department of Public Health services including the Illinois Tobacco Quitline and project Safe Sleep (SIDS).