By Eric Stock
BLOOMINGTON – State Sen. Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) said the Rauner administration’s attempt to limit who is eligible for state-subsidized child care will create some tough choices for low-income families.
Barickman told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin some families might decide to quit their jobs because they can’t afford the cost of day care, but the Bloomington Republican said the state has tough financial choices to make.
PODCAST: Listen to Scott and Colleen’s interview with Barickman on WJBC.
“The concern is you are going to force people to make a decision not to go to work because they are making less money at work than they are paying on child care,” Barickman said.
The Democrat-led measure failed in the Illinois House on Wednesday by one vote.
Barickman said Gov. Bruce Rauner’s victory in defeating the so-called ‘no-strike, no-lockout’ bill only goes so far.
“The much bigger fight and the important fight is the one in which hopefully we can find a path to come together,” Barickman said. “This bitter division between the executive branch and the legislative doesn’t really get to the fundemantal question of whether we are soliveing our problems, ” which he said are the budget and the state’s business climate.
Barickman said efforts to keep the Illinois State Museum and its satellite locations from closing are well intended, but he said the state must break its habit of broken promises.
“There’s a lot of good out there, but the reality is we only have so much money,” Barickman said.
A measure that passed an Illinois House committee on Wednesday would keep Governor Rauner from closing the sites.
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
