ROCHELLE – Illinois State Senator Li Arellano, Jr., representing the 37th District, visited Rochelle City Hall on Monday to provide updates from Springfield. A freshman senator who took office this year, Arellano serves on several committees, including those focused on health, local government, state government, and veterans affairs. Arellano, a U.S. Army veteran and former mayor of Dixon, discussed the budget process, highlighting potential cuts to non-citizen spending.
“I’ve been very vocal that some of the spending for non-citizens needs to get cut back. We saw the auditor general’s report that showed it blew up way out of proportion.” he said. “And we saw the governor react to that in his budget and cut some of those. I think there’s more that can be cut in that particular region, especially to prioritize spending on disabled and education and some of these key needs. So that’s where I’m pushing to see some of those cuts.”
He also addressed challenges in economic development, stressing the importance of retaining existing businesses in the state. Arellano noted that projects such as the mega site in Rochelle offer opportunities for growth, and he plans to continue pushing for funding to support successful local initiatives.
