• Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed the state’s $50.4 billion budget for the next fiscal year into law Wednesday, hailing it for being balanced and what he called its “transformative investments” in early childhood, K-12 and higher education.
• Pritzker, flanked by fellow Democrats Senate President Don Harmon and House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, signed the budget at Christopher House, a pre-K through eighth grade nonprofit school, to highlight state spending on early childhood development with an initial $250 million investment in a new program called Smart Start that aims to expand preschool access.
• The budget also invests $350 million for K-12 education throughout the state as well as $100 million for college scholarships and to provide free access to community colleges.

Tagged: Politics