Just yesterday, Governor Pat Quinn of Chicago reiterated his plan to close Tamms Correctional Center, Murray Developmental Center, and other Southern Illinois state facilities, claiming that those facilities were not in his introduced budget.

“I honestly don’t think Pat Quinn understands how the budget process is supposed to work,” said State Senator Gary Forby, a Benton Democrat.  “The governor introduces his budget plan, but then the General Assembly makes changes based on the needs of the people of Illinois.”

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State Senator Gary Forby is urging Governor Pat Quinn to sign the state budget as it was written and end months of uncertainty for state workers, and other Illinois residents who depend on state services.  The budget includes funding for Tamms Correctional Center, Murray Developmental Center, and other state facilities that Quinn has vowed to close over the General Assembly’s objections.

“There are men and women who are waiting to find out whether or not they’re going to have jobs next year.  Their lives are on hold until the governor signs the budget,” Forby explained.  “The General Assembly passed a balanced budget that keeps major state facilities open.  I urge the governor to sign it without any cuts or layoffs.”

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Senator Gary Forby voted in support of a budget plan that protects Tamms Correctional Center and Murray Developmental Center, minimizes cuts to education funding and higher education funding, allows the state to pay more than $1 billion in overdue bills, and still cuts discretionary spending by more than $250 million.

“To me, the key point about this budget is that it protects jobs,” Forby said.  “I’ve been saying all year that our top priority has to be keeping people at work.  We can’t grow our economy or fix our budget by laying people off.”

Tamms and Murray were endangered earlier this year when Governor Quinn proposed closing dozens of state facilities.

“Tamms provides jobs to hundreds of people in Alexander County, and Murray provides people in Southern Illinois with a place close to home where they can visit their loved ones,” Forby explained.  “I think keeping these facilities in the budget is important.”

Forby was also pleased that the budget protected education funding and made the state’s full mandated pension payments.

“I think we set our priorities right,” Forby said.  “We had to cut everywhere, but we made sure education gets the smallest cuts.  In fact, K-12 education is the same as it was last year.”

The budget plan, which has passed the Illinois Senate, now goes to the House for further consideration.