Illinois residents will start to see checks as part of the $2 trillion federal relief package.
Illinois residents will start to see checks as part of the $2 trillion federal relief package.
Illinois residents and citizens across the country will receive a payment of $1,200 plus $500 per child from federal tax dollars under terms of the CARES Act that President Donald Trump signed last week.
Payments of $1,200 to each adult and $500 to each child younger than 17 will be issued depending on 2019 household income. A married couple with children could get up to $3,400 and the payments begin to taper off for those with an income of $75,000 or more or an income of $150,000 for couples filing jointly. Those making over $99,000 or couples earning more than $198,000 are not eligible, the Center Square reported.
The bill also expands unemployment insurance by providing $350 billion to help small businesses.
“Inside the $2 trillion bill, the largest relief measure ever passed, Illinois state and local governments are set to get $4.9 billion,” according to the Center Square. “That’s part of $150 billion all states and local governments will share in.”
The Illinois Municipal League has urged the governor to distribute the funds appropriately.
“Congress has turned a blind eye to the economic crisis facing all municipalities and has effectively ignored 1,297 of Illinois’ cities, villages and towns,” IML Executive Director Brad Cole said in a letter to Gov. J.B. Pritzker last week. “[The IML] formally requests any aid received by the state designated for municipal governments be dispersed by your office to all 1,298 cities, villages and towns on a per capita basis so that every community receives the financial help they need to weather this crisis.”
Gov. Pritzker issued stay-at-home executive order that officially went into effect on March 21, saying the order was the "inescapable conclusion" based on projected infection rates.
"I don't come to this decision easily," Pritzker told media members following his initial announcement. "I fully recognize that in some cases, I am choosing between saving people's lives and saving people's livelihoods. But ultimately you can't have a livelihood if you don't have your life."
The governor extended the initial stay-at-home order through April 30.
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