SPRINGFIELD – At a major Senate budget hearing this morning, Illinois’ state agencies laid out their plans for addressing a 20 percent across the board funding cut, resulting from an anticipated multibillion dollar budget deficit next year. State Senator Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) finds the situation unacceptable.

“Our state cannot turn its back on fulfilling its basic responsibilities,” Harmon said. “Look at education alone. The State Board anticipates completely eliminating early childhood education, cutting off 90,000 children from preschool. It’s incredibly shortsighted to put an entire generation at risk to balance the state budget.”

Eliminating the Early Childhood Block grant will only get the State Board of Education one-third of the way to the nearly $1 billion budget cut it needs to stay in the black. School districts throughout the state will lose funding, as will other vital programs.

Higher education will suffer similar consequences. The Illinois Student Assistance Commission anticipates that 30,000 students will lose scholarships from the state’s need-based Monetary Award Program, which helps low and middle-income students afford college. Individual universities will also be reducing their own financial aid offerings to prevent tuition hikes.

Harmon also expressed concern about reduced funding to the Illinois Department of Public Health, which will likely result in the closing of the Illinois Poison Center.

“I’m working on a plan to keep the Poison Center afloat because I believe it is a vital, life-saving resource,” Harmon said. “These budget cuts will literally cost lives. We have to find a way to avert them.”

Every state agency that addressed the Senate committee anticipated similarly draconian cuts.

The governor is slated to give his annual budget address next week.