Carbondale Reporter

Sen. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) voiced her opposition to Senate Bill 2803, that would allocate approximately $2 billion to manage the state’s unemployment insurance fund.

“The fact is, labor and business are not in support of the bill as it’s written,” Bryant said. “They didn’t oppose it because, as one of my friends in the business said, ‘if someone (is) holding a gun to your head to do something, then you don't necessarily oppose something.’ So, in this case, a gun was not held, but figuratively a gun was held to labor and business on the way this bill is written and told 'take this or it's going to be worse because we're not going to give you anything.'”

Some of the funding comes from the State Coronavirus Urgent Remediation Emergency Fund’s pocket. 

The Democratic-backed bill passed the Senate and House without Republican support. It was signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker on March 25.

“Illinois is on its best fiscal footing in years," Assistant Majority Leader Hoffman (D-Belleville) wrote in a statement, The Telegram reported. “This legislation builds on that incredible progress, paying off billions in debt, some of it many years old, and leaving our state better off for future generations.”

Part of the funding is coming from the American Rescue Plan funds. The money was intended for local governments to have economic support at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“These actions are saving Illinois taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars in interest payments and reducing the burden that would fall onto businesses and workers over the next decade,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said to KHQA. “Democrats in the General Assembly are overcoming the difficult circumstances of our past and putting working families first.”

Sen. Win Stoller (R-Peoria) told ABC this will bring the highest tax increase on employers in Illinois history.

The assembly's website reported the bill makes supplemental appropriations from the Pension Stabilization Fund for financing the unfunded liabilities of the General Assembly Retirement System, the Judges Retirement System of Illinois, the State Employees’ Retirement System of Illinois, the Teachers’ Retirement System of the State of Illinois, and the State Universities Retirement System. It also appropriates $250 million from the General Revenue Fund to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.