Working for Illinois Caucus

Bass fishing teams get scholarships from state legislators

Jerry Costello, the state representative from Smithton, presented the Red Bud High School and Chester High School bass fishing teams each with $200 scholarships from the Illinois Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus.

“Supporting our high school bass fishing teams helps to preserve this great tradition and keeps our children active outdoors,” Costello said.

The teams will purchase equipment and participate in future fishing tournaments and events with money from the scholarships.

Speech winner

Sam Geiger won the national championship at the National Speech & Debate Association’s tournament June 17.

The 2016 Belleville West graduate won in expository speaking. Other Belleville West graduate winners were Brooke Ingram and Donnie Bland, taking 10th and 11th places out of the 250 competing in that portion of the competition.

Sarah Hayden, Henry Holm and Tiffani Volkman were also among the 4,200 students participating in the tournament.

Teachers recognized for excellence

Several metro-east teachers were honored by the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois Federation of Teachers and the Illinois Education Association. They were selected as the best in their expertise during the last school year and were honored at a lunch on Tuesday in Bloomington-Normal.

It is the sixth annual Exemplary Teacher Recognition Award Luncheon. Local teachers honored were: Reggie Duncan, of Wingate Elementary in Shiloh; Kyle Gordon, of Collinsville High School; Jeannine Moeller, of Belleville West; and Emily Weber, of Joseph Arthur Middle School in O’Fallon.

Going to Germany

Mark Thomas-Patterson, of O’Fallon Township High School, is one of 22 Illinois teenagers who won a scholarship to study abroad for the next school year. Mark won the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange and will be spending the year in Germany. Other students, many from the Chicago area, will be going to Germany and Japan.

The scholarships are administered by Youth For Understanding USA. Go to YFUSA.org for more information about hosting an international student, scholarships and more.

Movie performers

The pre-kindergarten class of St. John Neumann Catholic provided some entertainment at the June 17 Movies in the Park hosted by Maryville Parks & Recreation. They sang three songs at the “Minions” movie.

Registration

Some area districts have summer registration online. They include:

▪ Wolf Branch: Returning students have until June 30 to re-register, which is required to put the child’s name on a class list. Families are required to provide residency requirements every year.

Returning families can start the registration process by logging onto the Teacher Ease parent account and filling out the forms; the forms need to be mailed, emailed or faxed to the school. Payment may be made online, by mail or placed in the drop box at school.

Call district offices at 618-277-2100 with any questions.

▪ Collinsville students may register this year from their computer, smart phone or tablet; they can also come to the schools to do so.

Online registration starts July 20; the district will send instructions to returning families by mail.

Students new to the district must register in person at Collinsville High School.

Call the enrollment/records office at 618-346-6350, ext. 4237 for more information.

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July 3, 2016 0

Beiser supporst stop-gap budget to keep schools open while recognizing challenges that remain

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ALTON – State Rep. Dan Beiser, D-Alton, issued the following statement after the passage of stop-gap budget measure which passed on Thursday:

“The spending bills passed today will ensure our schools open on time, provide much needed funding for social service organizations, and allow construction projects to continue on schedule. The budget provides a six-month spending plan for all of these programs, except elementary and secondary education, which is fully funded for the next fiscal year.

“This budget removes the anxiety school administrators, teachers and parents have had during the past months about whether or not schools will open in the fall. With other legislators, I fought attempts by the governor to decrease funding for our local schools. Instead, teachers and students in our region will have additional resources to use in the classroom.

“The spending bill also provides funding for human services for the next six months. This includes funding for in-home care for seniors, domestic and sexual abuse programs, services for children with disabilities and breast cancer screenings. Our seniors, children and most vulnerable citizens will be able to continue receiving the services they need and a little bit of pressure will be taken off providers.

“Even though these spending bills were passed, it is not enough. I am calling on the governor and legislative leaders to continue to negotiate a full budget. If this spending plan expires in six months, our colleges and universities, human service providers, students, seniors and disabled residents will be in the same position they were yesterday. We must focus on long-term solutions that provide stability for our economy and promote the health and safety of our communities.”

For more information, please contact Beiser’s constituent services office at 618-465-5900 or email dvbeiser@sbcglobal.net.

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July 3, 2016 0

Illinois Issues: The Impasse And The Damage Done – Peoria Public Radio

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Peoria Public Radio

Illinois Issues: The Impasse And The Damage Done
Peoria Public Radio
“We’ve been borrowing from nonprofit social service providers in order to fund our basic government functions.” DuBoe says the United Way estimates that the state owes at least $500 million for services rendered for the fiscal year that ends tomorrow …

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July 3, 2016 0

Bruce Rauner Says “Shut Things Down”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zw03Q_i9vB4

Then-candidate Bruce Rauner spoke at the Tazewell County Republican Lincoln Day Dinner on March 9, 2013. Rauner threatened to shut down vital state services for working families in order to pass his extreme agenda. Rauner said "if we sort of have to do a ‘do over’ and shut things down for a little down while, that’s what we’re going to do."

From: seiuhealthcareilin

July 3, 2016 0

Bradley says Rauner’s school budget doesn’t do enough to help Southern Illinois classrooms

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State Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, says school funding legislation proposed by Gov. Bruce Rauner cuts some Southern Illinois schools short on funding. (RK PR SOLUTIONS PHOTO BY RYAN KEITH)

Staff Report•

MARION — Citing the desperate need for adequate funding for downstate schools, state Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, is urging passage of a school funding bill that boosts investment in all schools — something the Southern Illinois lawmaker says doesn’t happen under Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposed plan.

"For too long, downstate schools have taken less than what they require when it comes to public school funding," Bradley said. "The governor’s plan puts far less money into our schools than the plan I supported, and instead provides more to wealthy suburban Chicago school districts. The governor’s proposal would send our tax dollars to help schools with Olympic sized swimming pools while at the same time providing no increase for many schools in Southern Illinois."

The spending plan backed by Bradley would invest an additional $4.9 million dollars into schools in the 117th district, which are already struggling to make ends meet. The number of dollars going to local schools is drastically reduced by $2.7 million dollars under Rauner’s proposal. Bradley points out that Rauner’s plan would provide no additional dollars for four schools in the 117th District: Akin CCSD 91, Ewing Northern CCSD 115, Thompsonville CUSD 174 and Sesser-Valier CUSD 196.

"The governor may not understand downstate Illinois, but if he was take a look at the condition of many of our schools, he would understand that every dollar counts," Bradley said. "While we are negotiating a stopgap budget, making our schools stronger must be a key part of the discussion. My focus remains on making sure that our schools and critical providers have the funding they deserve."

The state legislature is scheduled to be back in Springfield today. The deadline to reach some sort of budget agreement is the end of the day tomorrow to prevent the state from entering its second fiscal year without a state budget.

— Dateline Marion

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July 3, 2016 0

Illinois higher education investment would boost the state’s economy by billions

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OPINION

State of Illinois needs to invest more – not less – in higher education.

A new ILEPI Economic Commentary examines the rising costs of higher education in Illinois’ public 4-year universities and the potential economic gains associated with lowering tuition costs. The full report is available at this link.

The cost of a public 4-year university education is expensive in Illinois. Largely because the State of Illinois only invests $217 per capita in higher education, the annual tuition cost in the state is $20,054 on average for public universities – the 4th-most expensive state in America. Many working-class and middle-class families are struggling to afford college.

Additionally, the Chicago Sun-Times reported this week that unease over the lack of state funding has caused a drop in the number of applications at Illinois’ public universities. Western Michigan University expects to enroll its largest freshman class from Illinois ever, while Murray State University in southwest Kentucky says that “applications from some Illinois border counties are up as much as 40 percent.”

Many students from Illinois are deciding to attend college in another nearby state with cheaper tuition, and a portion of these students stay and enter that state’s workforce. In fact, research has found that a 20-percent decrease in tuition can increase the number of college-educated citizens in a state by between 2 and 10 percent. By lowering tuition costs through increased public funding, Illinois lawmakers can halt the outflow of highly-educated citizens from the state.

A 20-percent reduction in tuition costs for students at Illinois’ public universities would require a 0.20 percentage-point increase of the state’s personal income tax, which would be just $3 per week for the average household. At this minimal price, the state could create– or, in the current budgetary climate, save– nearly 3,800 total jobs, mainly at public universities over the short run.

The policy change would also save or create between 4,700 and 23,500 total jobs and boost the state’s economy by up to $2.6 billion over the long run.

Governor Rauner’s agenda calls for Illinois to cut financial support for state universities. By spending significantly less per capita on higher education, costs are shifted onto poor college students and their families. This move not only makes college less affordable and less accessible to low-income families, it makes Illinois a less attractive place for students to learn and ultimately work. Underinvesting in higher education can have serious long-term effects on a state’s economy.

Illinois must invest in higher education. The state must take action to increase the accessibility of college by lowering tuition costs and to support those in need of financial assistance to attend college.

Higher education builds a skilled workforce and the strong middle class that Illinois needs in a global economy.

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July 3, 2016 0

Bradley donates to help feed children

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Illinois –

WSIL — State Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, donated money to local organizations to help feed hungry children while he held a luncheon at the Vault Cafe in Marion on Friday.

Bradley has donated to the cause for several years and gave $20,000 at the luncheon, bringing his total donations to $100,000. The money comes from his Friends for John Bradley campaign fund.

"Sometimes when kids are in school the only good meal they have is the school meal, and during the summer they don’t have school meals and so we’ve got a huge need for children in our area in the summer," Bradley said.

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July 3, 2016 0

Local Democrats call for Rauner to sign bill to support social service agencies

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AURORA – Two Kane County Democratic lawmakers called for the governor to sign a spending plan for social service agencies hard-hit by the lack of a state budget.

State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Aurora, and state Sen. Linda Holmes, D-Aurora, attended a June 22 news conference where representatives of various social service agencies spoke of how the budget impasse was affecting their ability to provide services.

Both advocated for Gov. Bruce Rauner to sign Senate Bill 2038, legislation that would provide some funding for these and other social service agencies.

"What we need is governing by the governor,” Kifowit said. “And we need him to stop making up excuses for why he’s not signing this bill that helps so many people in our community. The bottom line is, we are in a society that should be of compassionate people and not a society of greed where money trumps all."

Holmes said taking all human compassion out of the equation: “The state should run like a business – but a business with a heart. We do have obligations. We do need to take care of people who need to be taken care of."

Holmes said when the state does not cover services for people with mental illness, homeless shelters are overwhelmed. When the state does not cover services for battered women’s shelters, women are at risk for injury or death if they don’t have a safe place to go once they leave their abuser.

"This political game of holding people hostage has gone on long enough,” Holmes said. “These are people’s lives. This is not a game."

The news conference was hosted by the League of Women Voters of Central Kane County and the League of Women Voters Elgin Area at the headquarters of the Association for Individual Development in Aurora.

The governor’s press secretary Catherine Kelly wrote in an email response that, as it is drafted now, “SB 2038 will exacerbate our current budget crisis because it doesn’t include funding for critical government services to our prisons, mental health facilities, child care, summer feed programs, among many other things.”

“All of these services are addressed in the GOP Leaders’ stopgap proposal [House Bill 6585 and Senate Bill 3435]. If Sen. Holmes and Rep. Kifowit truly wanted to take care of people, they would be pushing their Democratic leaders to be in Springfield to vote on this bill that would provide relief in these areas,” the response stated.

Both Holmes and Kifowit refuted the response.

“The purpose of SB 2038 is to fund the critical needs of our social service network, which would provide the needed emergency funding from last fiscal year directly to the organizations,” Kifowit wrote in an email response.

Rauner’s administration would shortchange social service agencies by siphoning off their funding and using it for governmental functions, Kifowit wrote.

“The purpose of the Commitment to Human Services Fund is to support human service providers – not government operations, travel reimbursements and other spending, which should be utilizing general revenue funds," Kifowit wrote. "SB 2038 does not include these extra expenses and is a true bill that provides emergency funding for our human services.”

Kifowit and Holmes both wrote that the GOP stopgap proposal does not fund needed services.

Kifowit wrote that the stopgap proposal eliminates services for autism, psychological services, homeless prevention services for families and youth, programs for at-risk youth, respite care and services for elderly seniors.

“I would suggest the gov spend time working on a responsible, full-year budget and sign SB 2038,” Kifowit wrote. “Actions speak louder than his empty words.

Holmes wrote that she voted on necessary measures for the state’s needs, and they are sitting on Rauner’s desk.

“The governor needs to understand how government works,” Holmes’ email stated. “There are two chambers. It takes 60 votes in the House and 30 in the Senate to pass a bill. Budget bills are typically negotiated in order to achieve those numbers.”

Holmes wrote that Rauner should “be an active part of the negotiations” to achieve passage of a bill.

“He has wasted several months attaching agenda items that result in little or no cost savings to the budget. In other words, he was tying non-budget items to the budget,” Holmes’ email stated.

“He was also touring the state and holding press conferences bashing rank and file Democrats, as well as the Speaker [Mike Madigan] and President [John Cullerton], while we had working groups trying to negotiate a budget," Holmes’ email stated. "That has proven very unproductive and resulted in an unprecedented Illinois budget impasse.”

On the Web

Visit KCChronicle.com to view a video associated with this story.

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July 3, 2016 0

The Wemstroms: Rauner wrong to disparage Chicago – Journal Standard

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Journal Standard

The Wemstroms: Rauner wrong to disparage Chicago
Journal Standard
Brian Stewart has joined the pack, parroting Rauner and saying that, to Speaker of the House Mike Madigan, “nothing matters except the city of Chicago.” Most representatives work for their own districts, and to Stewart Chicago does not matter except as …

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July 3, 2016 0

House Downstate Democrats work for the good people of Illinois

Speech winner

Teachers recognized for excellence

Going to Germany

Movie performers

Registration