>> THIS WEEK, THE ILLINOIS HOUSE AND SENATE APPROVE NEXT YEAR'S FISCAL BUDGET, WHICH INCLUDES 50 MILLION DOLLARS IN FUNDING FOR A NEW STATE LEVEL CHILD TAX CREDIT.

PARENTS WORKING BELOW THE MEDIAN INCOME WITH CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 12 COULD RECEIVE A CREDIT BETWEEN 300 AND $600 PER HOUSEHOLD.

AND ACCORDING TO A STUDY BY THE ILLINOIS ECONOMIC POLICY INSTITUTE, THE TAX CREDIT WILL HELP DECREASE CHILDHOOD POVERTY AND BOOST THE STATE'S ECONOMY.

JOINING NOW WITH MORE, JULIET, THE HIS THE DAY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT K L S N A AND AM I A POOR SENIOR ADVISER.

OF ECONOMIC SECURITY PROJECT.

THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US.

JULIAN, I WANT TO START WITH YOU.

HOW DID THIS CHILD TAX CREDIT BILL COME ABOUT?

SO?

>> WE ARE PART OF THE ILLINOIS COALITION OF IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE WHICH HAS OVER 100 MEMBERS ACROSS THE STATE OF ILLINOIS.

AND FROM FILING KEN THE SNAKE.

SO ONE OF THOSE MEMBERS AND SO WHAT GROUPS ON THE GROUND OR I AM WORKING WITH FAMILIES IMPACTED BY COVID SAW WAS THAT THE FEDERAL COVID RELIEF RIGHT.

THAT BROUGHT 2 MILLION CHILDREN OUT OF POVERTY.

>> NEEDED TO BE AND IT NEEDED BE INSTATED WRITER CONTINUE.

ALL RIGHT.

AND WE SAW IT.

>> THEY ALLOWED IT TO 02:00AM.

THEY ALLOWED IT TO GO?

AND SO WE SAW CHILDREN PLUMMET RIGHT BACK INTO POVERTY.

RIGHT?

AND SO HERE AT THE STATE LEVEL, SO WHAT CAN WE DO HERE?

RIGHT?

TO REALLY SHOWING MODEL THAT AT THIS STATE.

WE KNOW HOW TO TAKE CARE OF OUR FAMILIES, RIGHT?

AND THAT WE DO ALL THAT WE CAN AT THE STATE LEVEL.

AND SO THIS IS YEARS OF ORGANIZING ON THE GROUND.

PEOPLE WORKING DIRECTLY OUR PEOPLE IMPACTED RIGHT BY THIS.

TRYING WORK WITH PARTNERS LIKE THE RIGHT TO TO GET THIS PASSED.

AND SO AFTER YEARS, WE'RE SO EXCITED THAT WE WE HAVE WE'RE AT WE'RE HERE.

WE HAVE THE CHILD TAX CREDIT WAS A BIG INITIATIVE.

>> I WANT TO GO TO THEIR 50 MILLION ALLOCATED IN THE BUDGET TO CREATE A NEW CHILD TAX CREDIT WHERE THOSE FUNDS COMING FROM.

>> WELL, 50 MILLION DOLLARS THIS YEAR AND 100 MILLION DOLLARS AND EVERY YEAR GOING FORWARD.

SO AND REMEMBER, THIS IS ON TOP OF THE EXPANSION OF THE EARNED INCOME CREDIT THAT THE COALITION THAT WE ARE PART OF A YES, SECURE JUST A COUPLE YEARS AGO, AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN DIRECT CASH SUPPORT THAT'S GOING TO FLOW ILLINOIS FAMILIES.

AND THEN THERE'S A TOPPER FOR FAMILIES THAT HAVE KIDS BETWEEN 0 AND THIS IS A BIG WIN.

IT'S A IT'S A BIG WIN, YOU KNOW, BUT OUR WORK IS NEVER DONE.

IT IS A BIG WHEN WE SEE THIS IS A PART OF ALIGNS WITH THE GOVERNOR'S AGENDA TO MAKE ILLINOIS THE BEST PLACE START RAISE A FAMILY VISIT, BIRTH EQUITY INITIATIVE.

THE CHILD TAX CREDIT, GETTING RID OF THE GROCERY TAX.

BUT YOU KNOW THIS, THIS THESE DOLLARS, WE'RE GOING MAKE IT POSSIBLE.

FOR FAMILIES FOR KIDS BETWEEN 0 12 TONIGHT AT THE CHOOSE BETWEEN BUYING DIAPERS OR PUTTING FOOD ON THE TABLE BUY BOOKS.

IT REALLY ALSO DEMONSTRATES THE FEDERAL POLICYMAKERS WHY WE NEED A MORE HUMANE SAFETY NET.

>> JULIA, TO BREAK IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT MORE WHO QUALIFIES YOU TO TALK ABOUT THAT?

WHO QUALIFIES FOR THE CHILD TAX CREDIT AND HOW MUCH AGAIN, AS AVAILABLE PER CHILD.

IF A FAMILY IS WATCHING, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO TELL THEM?

WELL, RIGHT NOW YOU GET INTO SPECIFICS, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT 300 PER CHILD THAT 600 >> TOPS PER FAMILY.

RIGHT?

I'M THAT FAMILIES NEED TO 50,000.

I HEAR ON UP TO 60,000 UP TO 60,000 A YEAR TO QUALIFY WITH JOINTLY MARRIED FILING JOINTLY UNDER 75,000 A QUALIFIED AND HAVE CHILDREN BETWEEN 0 AND 12 YEARS OLD.

AND SO WE KNOW THAT RIGHT THERE IS GOING TO IMPACT 1.4 MILLION CHILDREN IN OUR STATE, WHICH IS THAT BUT IT'S A HUGE BEGINNING.

HAVE YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN HEARING FROM FAMILIES?

YOU KNOW, WHAT HAS REACTION BEEN LIKE FOR YOU?

YEAH, I MEAN, ACTION LAST YEAR WHEN DIDN'T WAS DEVASTATING.

RIGHT?

BECAUSE WE WERE AND WE CONTINUE TO FAMILIES JUST NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, PAY CYCLE TO KEEP FOOD ON THE TABLE.

FOLKS NEEDING TO GO IN.

YOU KNOW, LOOK FOR ON TOP OF EVERYTHING.

AND THERE ARE FAMILIES WHO HAVE LOST A WHOLE HOUSEHOLD, A MEMBER RIGHT?

2 COVID, RIGHT.

THAT STILL AN IMPACT, RIGHT?

AND SO THE DEVASTATION OF LOSING LAST YEAR BECAUSE WE WERE SO EXCITED AND WE FELT LIKE WE COULD WIN.

AND NOW THIS YEAR THAT WE ACTUALLY WON, OUR FAMILIES ARE SUPER ON.

THOSE ARE SUPER EXCITED.

THEY FOUGHT HARD AND THEY NOW THEY SEE THE RESULT.

AND AGAIN, WE SEE THIS AS THE BEGINNING.

WE'RE NOT DONE.

THIS IS NOT ENOUGH, RIGHT?

WE NEED WE NEED TO CATCH UP WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD THAT THAT REALLY DO SUPPORT WOMEN AND FAMILIES TO RAISE CHILDREN.

THIS IS THE HAND?

ALL THIS IS NOT AN ENTITLEMENT.

IS ACTUALLY WHAT IS A BASIC STANDARD OF LIVING MOMENT TO GIVE US A PERSPECTIVE, HOW MANY CHILDREN HOUSEHOLD WILL BE IMPACTED ACROSS THE STATE?

>> WITH HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF HOUSEHOLDS ACROSS THE STATE, NOT JUST IN CHICAGO, BUT DOWNSTATE CAIRO.

YOU KNOW, YOU ST. LOUIS TO CHARLESTON, RIGHT?

AND EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN.

HE'S GOING TO BENEFIT FROM THE SHOT TAX CREDIT.

BUT THE COMMUNITIES WILL ALSO BENEFIT RIGHT?

EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE SEND BACK TO FAMILIES.

GETS SPENT LOCALLY AND CREATES A MULTIPLIER OF $2.50, RIGHT?

SO FOR TALKING ABOUT SENDING HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS DOLLARS BACK, NOT JUST THE EARNED INCOME CREDIT, BUT NOW THIS NEW 100 MILLION DOLLAR BENEFIT STARTING NEXT YEAR, 50 THIS YEAR.

YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PROBABLY CLOSE TO BILLION DOLLARS IN ECONOMIC IMPACT.

THESE DOLLARS WILL FLOW BACK INTO GOVERNMENT COFFERS THROUGH SALES TAXES AND OF COURSE, CREATE JOBS, CREATE SPENDING LOCALLY.

THIS IS.

THIS IS WHY OUR COALITION IS NOT JUST PROGRESSIVES.

WE'VE GOT THE OWNER RESTAURANT SESSION BOARD.

IT IS A IT IS A DIVERSE COALITION BECAUSE PRO BUSINESS AND PRO FAMILY.

AND TALKING ABOUT THAT, I DID READ THAT IT WOULD REDUCE CHILDHOOD POVERTY AND INCREASE THE STATE'S ECONOMY.

CAN YOU ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THAT?

>> AGAIN, WHEN YOU HAVE A ONE, WE REDUCE CHILD POVERTY, RIGHT?

WE SEE BETTER OUTCOMES.

>> WE SEE LOWER.

IT'S A CHRONIC DISEASE.

WE SEE RATES OF POVERTY OBVIOUSLY HAS BETTER IMPACT ON WORKERS.

YOU KNOW THIS AS AN ECONOMIC IMPACT, RIGHT?

NOT ONLY IS IT HUMANE AND THE RIGHT THING TO DO, BUT IT BENEFITS US IN THE NEAR AND LONG TERM.

OF COURSE, GIVING PEOPLE MONEY MEANS THAT THEY WILL SPEND THAT MONEY WHICH WILL RESULT IN ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, WHICH WILL CREATE JOBS, WHICH CREATES A FLYWHEEL FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS GOOD FOR EVERYBODY.

AND JULIET GOING YOU.

HOW IS A CHILD TAX CREDIT BENEFIT TO BOTH URBAN RULE COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT ILLINOIS'S?

>> YEAH.

I MEAN, HAVING MORE MONEY AT HOME, WHEREVER YOU ARE, WHATEVER ZIP CODE IS RIGHT.

I WORK PRIMARILY IN CHICAGO IN THE COMMUNITIES OF LOGAN SQUARE AVENUE AT THE >> WHERE WE'RE SEEING RENTS CONTINUE TO SKYROCKET LIKE SOME OF THE HIGHEST RENT INCREASES ARE ACTUALLY THE EYES.

INCREASES ARE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.

SO FAMILIES ARE CONSTANTLY SEEING THE RENTS GO AND AND THEIR MIKE, STAY AND JOB INSECURITY AS WELL.

SO THIS IS THIS IS THIS KIND OF STABILITY.

THIS IS A TOWARDS STABILITY THAT PEOPLE GUY.

BUT WHAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO IS FIND MANY DIFFERENT WAYS FOR ECONOMIC JUSTICE TO HAPPEN