McHenry Times

Pushing for growth in the state, Illinois state Rep. Dan Ugaste (R-Geneva) hopes Gov. JB Pritzker’s "Smart Start Illinois" plan will benefit residents across the entire state.

As part of his "Smart Start Illinois" plan, Pritzker is proposing $75 million in additional spending to add 5,000 slots to existing state-funded preschool programs, a recent Chicago Tribune report said. The idea is to make preschool available to all Illinois families.

Pritzker’s preschool expansion plan is part of a $250 million proposal to boost services for the state’s youngest residents and their families. The enactment of the plan is expected to take the remainder of the governor’s new term to achieve an overall increase of 20,000 seats.

“Smart Start Illinois” is also part of Pritzker's overall $49.6 billion spending proposal for the next budget year. The plan is set to be delivered as part of a combined budget and State of the State speech given in the Illinois House chamber in the first address Pritzker has made before a full joint session since the coronavirus was declared a pandemic in 2020.

Ugaste noted that Illinois has a lot of strengths, but changes are needed in order to maximize the state's potential.

"We can apply our strengths ... geography, workforce, our resources, to bring creators and opportunities home here to Illinois," Ugaste recently told the McHenry Times. "But we can only do so if we address the glaring issues that are facing families and job creators in this state—sky-high property taxes, endless regulation, and other costs that are just far too high in our state."