UPTOWN — About 400 Asian Americans, including Chicagoans, will travel to Springfield on Thursday to meet with legislators about funding cuts that will be made to translation services, after-school programs and more if Gov. Bruce Rauner's proposed budget is approved.
Attendees will "fight not only as Asian Amerians and immigrants but in solidarity with all of the communities who are and will be devastated by the governor's actions," according to a report from the Pan Asian Voter Empowerment Coalition.
Rauner's proposed budget would cut the Immigrant Services Line Item, which funds the Immigrant Family Resource Program and New Americans initiative, according to the report, which was released Tuesday. The programs provide interpretation services to help immigrant families work with state agencies and they promote immigrants to seek U.S. citizenship, according to the coalition's report.
The Teen Reach and After School Matters programs, which fund afters-school activities and training for Chicago teens, would also see funding cuts under Rauner's budget.
The Legislature is working on passing a state budget before the 2016 fiscal year begins July 1.
Rauner has said budget cuts are necessary as the state is laboring under a $111 billion pension shortfall and a $6.6 billion deficit. The governor has said he would be open to a tax increase to soften cuts but that the Legislature would need to couple that with pro-business changes, such as changing workmans compensation and union regulations.
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