“I would like to thank the governor for laying out the situation our state has found itself in for too long, and the challenges that lie ahead if we hope to stem the loss of jobs and people to other states,” said Sen. Syverson. “Recent work on a budget deal in the Senate shows that we could be getting close to ending the current impasse while helping to grow good-paying jobs in our state. But we face a lot of challenges, not the least of which will be passing legislation through both chambers. I hope our bipartisan work in the Senate will inspire House lawmakers, and especially Speaker Madigan, to work together to allow common-sense reforms and a balanced budget to advance. We know we can’t just tax our way to prosperity. We need a balanced approach to grow our economy. This is how we provide stability, security, and prosperity for the people of Illinois.”