April 22, 2013 — Access full webinar  |  View/download PDF

Speakers:

Paula Corrigan-Halpern, policy advocacy director, Voices for Illinois Children
David Lloyd, senior policy analyst, Fiscal Policy Center at Voices for Illinois Children

This webinar examines:

• The causes and effects of Illinois’ continuing fiscal crisis;
• The factors driving the spring budget debate in Springfield;
• Proposed funding levels for human services and education;
• How to maximize existing revenue and close tax loopholes to pay down bills and avoid further cuts; and
• Specific options to dig Illinois out of its fiscal hole and create a long-term sustainable budget.

Additional resources:

• “Maximizing Available Resources” policy bulletin
• “Utilizing Surplus Revenue Outside the General Funds” fact sheet

Aug. 15, 2012 — Audiorecording of policy call 

The stakes are high for children and families this state and federal election season, according to the experts featured on this policy call. Federal spending on children has fallen for the first time in 30 years, and in Illinois, the state’s budget crisis has forced cuts to education, health care, and other critical programs and services that serve kids.  

Speakers:  

• Chris Blunt, Ph.D., pollster, and consultant, Overbrook Research, shares what voters are focused on, how they make their voting decisions, and whether children’s issues are an important factor in their decisions about candidates.  
• Indivar Dutta-Gupta, policy advisor, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, explains aspects of the current debate on deficit reduction where there are the biggest threats and opportunities for children and puts kids’ issues into the larger context of political debate.
• Beth Coulson, former state representative, shares from her legislative experiences what works and what doesn’t in engaging candidates for state office.  
• Paula Corrigan-Halpern, Voices’ policy advocacy director, discusses what advocates can do to encourage candidates to focus on kids and introduces Voices’ election advocacy toolkit, which offers user-friendly options to getting involved in the legislative process.