The Illinois Equal Justice Foundation (IEJF) hails the passage of a state budget, a necessary step on the road back to state fiscal stability.

This is particularly important to the IEJF as its work to increase access to the legal system relies primarily on state funding.  The state appropriation for civil legal aid was a casualty of the budget impasse, depriving nearly 36,000 Illinoisans of vital legal aid services.  Thanks to a bi-partisan effort, the civil legal aid appropriation as well as the appropriation for a pilot to assist veterans and service members in civil legal crisis were restored in this budget.  Vulnerable families, seniors and veterans across the state who cannot afford an attorney will now have access to the legal support they need when confronting potentially life-changing crises, such as domestic violence, foreclosure, consumer fraud and loss of veteran’s benefits.

The IEJF commends the bi-partisan vote to enact a balance budget, bring the state back from the brink of bankruptcy, and restore civil legal aid funding for tens of thousands of Illinoisans.  The IEJF encourages its supporters to reach out and thank legislators who supported the budget as well.