Illinois state Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) | Facebook
Illinois state Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) | Facebook
The Illinois Senate recently passed legislation to ensure that approved Winnebago county sales tax revenue will be used for mental health and substance abuse resources.
Senate Bill 2278 was filed by Illinois State Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford). It will allocate tax revenue for community-based mental health and substance abuse resources and support and enable counties to provide specific mental health and substance abuse treatment services based on the needs of local communities.
"The voters spoke," Stadelman said in an April 28 Facebook post. "They said they want this money to go to mental health and substance abuse treatment. I want to make sure it does."
In March of 2020, Winnebago County residents voted for an increase in the county’s sales tax rate to provide funding for resources to support local mental health and substance abuse recovery. Under the bill, counties that have approved this sales tax increase will establish boards made up of seven health advocates and professionals to help administer the funding.
The county projects that up to $14 million in additional revenue will be available for these programs every year.
The bill passed the Illinois Senate unanimously by a vote of 56-0 and will now head to the Illinois House of Representatives for consideration.
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