Illinois Leaders: Federal Relief Needed To Avoid Budget Cuts, Layoffs

President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Illinois leaders say federal relief is needed to avoid budget cuts and layoffs. Governor J.B. Pritzker joined with state leaders across the country yesterday in urging Congress to pass another COVID relief package to help state and local governments. Illinois included a plan in the fiscal year 2021 budget to borrow five-billion dollars from the federal reserve to cover for drops in revenue from the COVID-19 pandemic. The state needs more federal aid to help cover that debt.