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Legislators made statements about issues ahead of session. Did they follow through? – Belleville News-Democrat

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Legislators made statements about issues ahead of session. Did they follow through?

State Rep. Katie Stuart discusses 2019 session

Illinois State Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, discusses her influence during the 2019 spring session. She was involved in the gaming bill, got a teacher minimum wage bill passed, and had some influence over the marijuana legalization bill. By

Illinois State Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, discusses her influence during the 2019 spring session. She was involved in the gaming bill, got a teacher minimum wage bill passed, and had some influence over the marijuana legalization bill. By

SPRINGFIELD

During the last few years, state Sen. Paul Schimpf, R-Waterloo, has been one of the proponents of a casino license at Walker’s Bluff in on the eastern side of the Jackson County-Williamson County border, as well as allowing slot machine gambling at Fairmount Park.

Schimpf even stood at a news conference with other Southern Illinois lawmakers during the last few days of the 2019 spring session calling on legislators to include Walker’s Bluff in a gaming bill expansion.

But when the long sought after gaming expansion came up for a vote in the Senate on the last day of the 2019 spring session, Schimpf voted “no” on the bill. The bill did include an increase in the cigarette tax beginning in July. It also increases the tax on video gaming terminals to 33 percent in July of this year, if it is signed by Gov. J. B. Pritzker.

“While I support the gaming expansion for Walker’s Bluff and Fairmount Park, this bill was tied to major tax increases with no corresponding cuts in state spending,” Schimpf said in a statement. “The continued growth of state spending and higher taxes are hurting Southern Illinois families and making our state less competitive for job growth. This is why I reluctantly voted no on this legislation.”

In May 2018, Schimpf even expressed disappointment when a gaming expansion bill that allowed for Walker’s Bluff to have a casino and would have allowed slot machines at Fairmount Park failed.

“I’m disappointed the Illinois House has failed again to move forward on a gaming bill that would have spurred economic growth in Southern Illinois,” Schimpf said in a news release at the time. “I supported this legislation in the Illinois Senate for two reasons. First, it would have allowed Walker’s Bluff to bring a casino license to their winery. Second, it would have authorized Fairmount Park to offer electronic gaming at its racetrack.”

As the spring session of the Illinois General Assembly has come to a close, many pieces of legislation were approved by the general assembly. How did legislators vote compared to previous statements?

How did they vote on a gambling expansion?

The gambling expansion was one of several bills to pass during the legislative session’s last week. It is planned to be the funding source for a capital infrastructure bill.

It included support from most of the metro-east contingent, including state Rep. Nathan Reitz, D-Steeleville. Reitz’s father is former state Rep. Dan Reitz, who lobbied for a provision to allow Walker’s Bluff to have a casino, according to state records. The Daily Line reported the father and son said the casino license was part of a larger bill that included sports betting, cigarette tax increase and expansion of casino gaming around the state.

State Rep. LaToya Greenwood, D-East St. Louis, in January had not initially committed one way or another on a gaming bill. She wanted to make sure whatever expansion that occurred did not hurt the metro-east and did not hurt East St. Louis, which relies on the Casino Queen for revenue.

Ultimately, the bill included revenue sharing of Fairmount racino dollars between Collinsville, East St. Louis, Alton and other metro-east communities.

“I know the agreement will assist the Casino Queen,” said Greenwood, who voted yes on the gaming expansion. “It’s a percentage of revenue the city as well as the Casino Queen will receive, from the language that’s in the legislation.”

State Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville was heavily involved in the gaming bill during the session as the representative of the House Women’s Democratic caucus. She was chosen to be the caucus’ representative because of her involvement with Fairmount Park issues.

“I delved right in, I learned a lot, and I went to many meetings, many times, multiple meetings on the same day, where things changed from minute to minute,” Stuart said. “I’m really excited about what came out of that, it’s kind of telling not every party walked away happy, no party walked away fist pumping like they won everything. So I think it shows you it was a pretty fairly negotiated thing between our brick-and-mortar existing casino and racetracks, plus the entities that want to get involved in the sports betting, the pre-existing Fan Duel and Draft Kings folks.”

The gaming bill was among the several bills Stuart had influence over in the last days of session.

Stuart also was able to get a commitment from marijuana legalization bill sponsor state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, for follow-up legislation to allow other counties around the state to be able tax marijuana at the same rate as other counties.

Stuart sponsored legislation, which passed both chambers and has been sent to the governor, to require high school seniors to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also knows as the FAFSA form, or sign a waiver, in order to graduate.

For the second year in a row, a teacher pay bill, which would set the minimum compensation for teachers at $40,000 a year by 2023-24, was passed by the General Assembly. Stuart, a former math teacher, presented the bill in the House. This legislation was previously vetoed by former Gov. Bruce Rauner, but heads to Pritzker for his consideration.

“I respect teachers, and not because I was one for a long time, but I know the impact that they make every day in our students lives and our future as an entire state. I know there are areas, right here, an area that we think is a well-paying school district, I know teachers personally, (and) it’s not their only job. They work, then tend tables at restaurants over the weekend to be able to afford their bills, they have other businesses like selling Avon and other products, just to make ends meet. I would rather have my kids’ fourth-grade teacher to be able to make lesson plans, versus busing tables. “

Toward the end of the session, Stuart’s name was being mentioned on the House floor by other legislators for her input on key bills.

“I always thought I had a strong voice, but I had opportunities I guess, more opportunities to be vocal and I think my colleagues got to know me and got to know I was not going to back down on my stance to support and protect the metro-east,” Stuart said.

Capital spending and taxing

Most of the area legislators voted for the $45 billion Rebuild Illinois Capital plan, which includes six years of spending to address road, bridge, transit and state building construction work.

In order to pay for the roadwork in the capital package, there would be an increase in the gas tax. It would double from 19 cents to 38 cents per gallon beginning July 1, as well an increase in vehicle registration fees next year.

State Rep. Monica Bristow, D-Godfrey, Reitz, Stuart, and state Rep. Blaine Wilhour, R-Beecher City, and state Sens. Rachelle Aud Crowe, D-Glen Carbon, Jason Plummer, R-Edwardsville, and Paul Schimpf, R-Waterloo, voted “no” on the legislation that included the motor fuel increase.

Among local legislators, state Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, who sponsored the legislation in the House, Greenwood and state Rep. Charlie Meier, R-Okawville, and state Sen. Christopher Belt, D-Cahokia, voted yes on the bill that included the gas tax increase, among other horizontal project revenue sources.

Meier had previously said he would be OK with a minimal increase to the gas tax. He also had previously called for an increase in sticker fees for electric vehicles, which were included in the capital bill funding plan.

charliemeier
State Rep. Charlie Meier Derik Holtmann dholtmann@bnd.com

“We can’t grow our economy and create jobs without adequate infrastructure. The fact of the matter is, quite a few of our roads and bridges are not safe,” Meier said. “We have major potholes on I-255, the Jefferson Barracks Bridge had to close for several days and is in desperate need of repair. We couldn’t sit back and do nothing as our roads and bridges would continue to put our public safety at risk while at the same time place our infrastructure system at a disadvantage.”

However, Crowe, Bristow, Stuart and Reitz, joined Belt, Greenwood, Hoffman and Meier to vote yes on the capital spending bill, which appropriates money for infrastructure projects around the state, including dollars for local projects.

“The capital spending that shows where our investments are, what our priorities are as a state, and those I agreed with,” Stuart said. “The gas tax, I don’t believe it’s going to fairly impact everyone across the state equally. Right where we live, here in the metro-east in Southern Illinois, we’re more spread out. We have public transportation, but not at the level that they do in Chicago and surrounding areas. We have families that don’t have the option, to, ‘Well instead of driving, I’ll start taking the train,’ because there is no train or bus that gets them where they need to go. I just could not see, especially making that large a jump in the gas tax.”

Second Amendment rights

Several metro-east legislators maintained their support for Second Amendment rights.

Reitz, Bristow, Stuart, Meier and co-sponsored legislation that dealt with when FOID card renewals, worked to ensure the World Shooting Complex in Sparta is not impacted by recently passed gun restriction laws, and restructured the validity of concealed carry licenses by stating that licenses may expire five years from the expiration date of the prior license rather than five years from the renewal application date.

The legislation passed both chambers.

“I am grateful to leaders from Southern Illinois who worked to ensure that the World Shooting and Recreational Complex event vendors will not be adversely impacted by gun dealer licensing laws,” Schimpf said. “This legislation will allow the World Shooting Complex to continue to attract top-tier events and help boost the surrounding economy.”

Each representative from the metro-east voted against the Fix the FOID bill, which would have required fingerprinting for people who have FOID cards.

The bill still passed the House, where Democrats have a supermajority, however it did not come up for vote during the spring session in the Senate.

Cigarette taxes

Meier voted against raising the smoking age to 21 saying it would lead to more people going to Missouri to buy cigarettes. Ultimately the capital bill package included an increase the cigarette tax to use for construction and maintenance on state buildings. It specifically was in the gaming expansion bill.

Meier said he wished the cigarette tax increase was a stand-alone bill, because he wasn’t for an increase in the cigarette tax. However he ultimately voted for the whole package. He also voted for the budget, which ultimately included pro-business reforms.

That gaming expansion included provisions for new revenue sources at Fairmount Park. It will allow more races and horses at the track, which means “more money we bring back into area,” Meier said.

‘No’ on the appropriations bills

Even though the state’s 2020 fiscal year spending plan, came about after bipartisan discussions among legislative leaders and Pritzker, there was still opposition from several Republicans, including state Rep. Wilhour, Plummer and Schimpf.

“I have serious concerns with the financial condition of the state where we have record revenues and we spend all of the money. We have a backlog of all the bills that’s not going to be paid back completely, we have significant pension issues which aren’t being fully addressed,” Plummer said. “If a family has lot of credit card debt and they hit the lottery, they pay down their credit card debt, they don’t go buy a bunch of new Porsches and ignore the debt. I’m very concerned we’ve been blessed with the significant tax receipts because of the strong economy and we should be using those monies to get our fiscal house in order and not spending it all.”

Joseph Bustos is the state affairs and politics reporter for the Belleville News-Democrat, where he strives to hold elected officials accountable and provide context to decisions they make. He has won multiple awards from the Illinois Press Association for coverage of sales tax referendums.

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June 14, 2019 at 01:36PM

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Gordon-Booth: 2019 Legislative Session Was “Historic”

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SPRINGFIELD — Governor J.B. Pritzker and the Democrats who control the General Assembly passed a flurry of major legislation in the closing days of this year’s legislative session.

State Rep. Jehan-Gordon Booth (D-Peoria) said lawmakers were highly productive this year.

 

“This legislative session was historic. The Illinois General Assembly, in over a hundred years, have never worked on this many groundbreaking issues successfully – in one year,” she said. “This year was absolutely historic. We’ve never had a year this significant, at least in my tenure being in the legislature.”

Some of the major legislation passed includes raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025, passing a $45 billion capital bill for infrastructure improvements and offering the voters a chance to amend the Illinois Constitution to shift the state to a graduated income tax.

 

She says that many of the progressive ideas passed this session are nothing new, but ultimately required needed votes in the legislature and the governor’s signature to become law.

 

“For years, you’ve had folks talking about the need to put a progressive income tax on the ballot. Let the people choose what they think is the right way to be funding the very functionality of our government. A balanced budget, what a novel idea. Fifteen dollar an hour minimum wage,” she said.

 

 

After the 2018 midterms, Democrats now hold supermajorities in both houses of the legislature, and Democrat J.B. Pritzker defeated Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner in his bid for re-election to the governor’s office.

Gordon-Booth also spearheaded recreational cannabis legalization. She called Illinois’ proposed legislation the “most equitable” in the nation.

 

She said she “could not be more proud” of what legislators achieved in the closing days of the session.

 

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June 13, 2019 at 04:39PM

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Freshman rep says open mind key to his first year

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Completing his first go-round in Springfield, state Rep. Lance Yednock said he voted many times to reflect the majority of his district, sometimes going against his initial belief or the party line.

One example was his vote in favor of the legalization of recreational marijuana.

"It was a difficult (vote) for me to make, I was back and forth on it," the Ottawa Democrat said in an interview Monday at The Times. "Knocking on doors, I came across many people who were using marijuana anyways."

Yednock said regulating and safeguarding it is better than people buying it from the black market. He said money generated from marijuana revenue will go into community revitalization.

"There’s still a personal responsibility to it," said Yednock, whose district includes La Salle, Bureau, Putnam and Livingston counties. "You can still be tested at work for it, and if you fail that, that’s your problem. Not ours."

When it came to the Reproductive Health Act, which replaces the state’s current law with one backers and detractors agree will be the most liberal reproductive health statute in the nation, he sided with his district.

"In the last five months of taking phone calls and polling, it was 20 to 1 against the Reproductive Health Act," Yednock said of the district.

The representative said he met many people who identified as pro-choice who were not in favor of the bill.

He said he also sided with the district when it came to the proposed FOID overhaul. He believed the bill was too restrictive on law-abiding citizens, such as hunters, but he understood why some lawmakers supported it.

Yednock identifies himself as open-minded. He said he was visited frequently by fellow lawmakers and lobbyists from both sides of the aisle on a number of bills, trying to persuade him one way or the other.

"I’d tell them I’m 50/50 and take the opposite view they had, and make them get me to a ‘yes’ on their view," Yednock said of his approach.

He said that strategy helped him understand the full perspective of what he was voting on.

Yednock said it was easy enough for people to get upset about the doubling of the state’s gas tax to 38 cents per gallon and an increase to driver’s license fees, but he said many of those people also told him the roads and bridges are in bad shape.

The revenue from the gas tax will go to the "horizontal" capital plan for transportation projects. He said many of these projects will benefit the district at the township, city and county levels.

"It’s better than the alternative of raising property taxes to borrow for emergency road repairs," Yednock said.

Passing a balanced budget was the biggest accomplishment of both the House and Senate, according to Yednock.

"Everyone wanted something to be done, and it will benefit business and labor to have consistency," Yednock said. "The chaos of the last four years left a sour taste."

In the budget, lawmakers’ base salaries of $67,836 will rise by more than $1,600 on July 1 once statutory cost of living increases are applied. They also receive per diem reimbursements and some receive added pay ranging from $10,326 to $27,477 per year for committee chairperson and leadership positions.

The state rep said he was unaware of the pay raise for lawmakers put into the budget until the day after he got home from the House’s adjournment, but he said even if he knew of them prior to voting, it was unlikely he would undo all the work that went into the balanced budget.

Yednock voted in support of the gambling expansion bill, which is expected to produce $660 million in its first year due to licensing fees and taxes. It adds six casinos, expands video gambling and allows sports betting. �The money will fund the construction of college and community college buildings.

Again, he said most of his district was in favor of sports gambling, fielding calls from residents who said they wanted to see it pass, and even expand more into tip boards and other sports gambling.

He was happy to see his anti right-to-work zone bill pass, one he said was a big part of his campaign.

He said residents will get the opportunity to vote on the proposed graduated income tax in November. The House approved a rate structure that would lower the tax rate on any individual or joint-filing couple making less than $250,000, while raising the rates on those above that threshold.

He said middle- to lower-class residents pay a higher percentage of income tax than the richest people in the state. He believes the tax will balance that in an effort to fix the state’s structural deficit.

"If it doesn’t pass, we’ll have to look at cuts of 10 to 15 percent across the board," Yednock said.

Yednock was most surprised by the bipartisanship spirit in Springfield. He said he expected it to be a little more polarized, and he didn’t find that to be the case.

Reflecting on the progressive agenda that was passed under the guidance of new Gov. JB Pritzker and a Democratic supermajority, Yednock said Democrats outside of Chicago and the larger cities are sensitive to it.

"We have a middle-of-the-road district, the last three elections have gone different ways," Yednock said. "Will there be a backlash on Democrats downstate? It could, but if things get better, it may just change people’s minds."

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June 11, 2019 at 06:59AM

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Freshman lawmakers equate Illinois legislature to ‘circus,’ ‘Game of Thrones’

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There’s bipartisan agreement among two freshman lawmakers that the way things are run at the Illinois State Capitol can be chaotic.

It’s been almost a week since lawmakers finished their overtime session. Within 48 hours, lawmakers revealed thousands of pages of legislation to increase taxes, spend tens of billions of dollars and bring major changes to the state’s gambling and marijuana laws.

Freshman state Rep. Dan Caulkins, R-Decatur, said being under the silver dome was a lot like being under a big top.

“It’s like being in a circus, almost,” Caulkins said. “I’m sure there’s a ring leader somewhere, but we don’t see what’s going on.”

Caulkins said it was frustrating to try to determine what issues would be tackled from day to day.

“We don’t know the next act that’s coming into the ring,” Caulkins said. “We don’t know what that’s going to be and it’s frustrating for me, especially coming out of the business world. We try to have a five-year plan.”

Freshman state Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford, said he understood the feeling.

“I can see that because I tell people I feel like I’m on ‘Game of Thrones’ running as fast as I can down the castle hallway with the unsullied behind me and the walking dead in front of me knowing that I have to run full force without knowing what I’m going to run into,” West said. “I hear that’s every session.”

But, West said he expects he’ll get a better grasp of how the legislature works.

“When you get one session under your belt, I’m assuming you understand how things roll. You understand that a deadline does not mean a deadline. You understand that anything can come.”

Regardless, West said he’s enjoying his time as a lawmaker.

Several deadlines to move bills out of committee or to move bills from one chamber to another are regularly waived by the legislature throughout the session. Lawmakers even blew through their end-of-session deadline of May 31 to work through June 2 to pass legislation set for the governor’s signature.

With the exception of a few subject matter committee hearings over the summer months, lawmakers aren’t expected back in Springfield until this fall.

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June 7, 2019 at 03:03PM

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New state Rep. Nathan Reitz will be a pivotal vote on the graduated income tax

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New state Rep. Nathan Reitz will be a pivotal vote on the graduated income tax

State Rep. Nathan Reitz discusses progressive income tax

State Rep. Nathan Reitz, D-Steeleville, who replaced Jerry Costello II in the House in May 2019, discusses his goals as a new state representative and his thoughts on a proposal to have a progressive income tax system in Illinois. By

State Rep. Nathan Reitz, D-Steeleville, who replaced Jerry Costello II in the House in May 2019, discusses his goals as a new state representative and his thoughts on a proposal to have a progressive income tax system in Illinois. By

Springfield

When the state House of Representatives votes on whether to place a constitutional amendment on the November 2020 ballot that would allow for a change to the state’s income tax system, many eyes will be on the chamber’s newest member.

State Rep. Nathan Reitz, D-Steeleville, could be a key vote as Democrats try to garner enough support from the party’s caucus in order to place the proposal to remove the requirement for a flat income tax in the state.

Reitz was appointed earlier this month to replace Rep. Jerry Costello II, D- Smithton, in the 116th District. Costello was appointed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker to be the director of Law Enforcement for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

In order for the constitutional amendment to make the November 2020 ballot, it would need 71 votes in favor in the Illinois House. Democrats hold 74 seats in the chamber, but two suburban Democratic state representatives — Jonathan Carroll, of Northbrook, and Sam Yingling of Grayslake — have said they’re not ready to support the graduated income tax plan, according to the Chicago Tribune.

All of the Republicans in the House Chamber have committed to voting “no” when the proposed amendment comes up.

That leaves the governor’s office and other proponents of a progressive income tax with an even narrower path to accomplishing one of the governor’s top priorities: changing the state to a progressive income tax system which would require the state’s top earners pay more in taxes. The governor has said it would help fill a $3.2 billion structural budget deficit.

The state Senate earlier this month voted 40-19 along party lines to place the amendment on the ballot.

Conservative vote replacement?

Costello, who often prided himself as being the most conservative Democrat in the House, had said he was against a progressive income tax in the state. Replacing Costello in the House opens up the possibility of gaining a vote for the constitutional amendment.

In an interview, Reitz, the former shift supervisor at the Dynegy-owned Baldwin Power Plant, wouldn’t give a definitive answer on whether he would vote differently than Costello on the issue.

“Right now I’m still looking at everything and at the end of the day I have to do what’s best for all the people in my district, and lowering taxes on the middle class is definitely my focus right now and will always be my focus,” Reitz said.

Reitz is the son of Dan Reitz, a former state representative who voted for a state income tax increase in 2011 and then later resigned. Costello was then appointed to the seat.

Nathan Reitz’s appointment this month was followed by a call from the Illinois GOP for the younger Reitz to follow in Costello’s footsteps and oppose a graduated income tax system.

052219 JB nathan Reitz talking.jpg
Nathan Reitz, Democrat from Steeleville. Joe Bustos jbustos@bnd.com

Reitz, who does plan to run for election to the seat in 2020, conceded he has been lobbied on the progressive income tax issue.

“I’ve spoken to several people and told them I have to do what’s best for the people in the 116th district,” Reitz said. “They will be the people that ultimately have the decision to bring me back to Springfield in two years. If the fair tax is something that needs to happen to make that a possibility, we probably need to sit down and look at it.”

Legislative lobbying

Pritzker Press Secretary Jordan Abudayyeh said the governor has been meeting with lawmakers to convince them to support the plan the governor’s office has called the “fair tax.” Under rates that have been proposed, 97 percent of people would pay the same or less in income taxes. People making more than $250,000 would see an increase.

“The governor believes the fair tax is the best way to put the state back on firm fiscal footing while protecting the middle class,” Abudayyeh said. “He’s making the case to lawmakers from every part of the state because he knows lawmakers want to do what’s best for their constituents.”

If Reitz votes “yes” when the constitutional amendment came up, he would probably receive criticism back in his district, said state Sen. Paul Schimpf, R-Waterloo, whose senate district contains Reitz’s House district.

“I would expect that if Rep. Reitz were to vote ‘yes’ on that, he would get a lot of blowback,” Schimpf said. “I don’t know what he’s going to do, I haven’t had a conversation but I do know the governor’s proposal to change from a flat tax rate to a progressive tax rate is extremely unpopular in my district.”

Schimpf said he was lobbied to vote certain ways when Republican Bruce Rauner was governor.

“Sometimes I would agree with him, sometimes I disagreed with him,” Schimpf said. “Ultimately I voted my district, and that’s what we should all be doing, voting what’s best for our district regardless what pressure we get from the second floor.”

State Rep. Robert Martwick, D-Chicago, the sponsor of the constitutional amendment in the House, argues constituents in Reitz’s district would be helped by a progressive income tax as it would bring in more money for poorer school districts.

“No doubt his district would benefit,” Martwick said.

Martwick said there would be property tax relief and there would be income tax relief for Reitz’s constituents.

“It’s not massive, but it’s something,” Martwick said.

Still unclear is when representatives may vote on the progressive income tax amendment as proponents work to get the 71 votes needed. Martwick said many members are meeting with him to discuss details of the bills and to make sure they get the best for their constituents.

“We’re close to 71. I’m confident we’ll get to 71,” Martwick said.

Southern Illinois values

As Reitz mulls over a vote on the graduated income tax, he has worked on issues to show his southern Illinois values.

The first bill he co-sponsored dealt with Second Amendment rights. The legislation, among other things works to ensure the World Shooting Complex in Sparta is not impacted by recently passed gun restriction laws, and restructures the validity of concealed carry licenses by stating that licenses may expire five years from the expiration date of the prior license rather than five years from the renewal application date.

“I’m sponsoring a commonsense, pro-gun bill to defend Southern Illinois from the one-dimensional Chicago assault on legal gun ownership,” Reitz said.

052219 JB Reitz speaks.jpg
Nathan Reitz, Democrat from Steeleville. Joe Bustos jbustos@bnd.com

On Wednesday, Reitz presented his first bill to the full House chamber, which passed unanimously.

The legislation, if it becomes law, would require the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Board of Higher Education to create the Agricultural Education Pre-Service Teacher Internship Program and award grants to pre-service teaching students who are involved in the program.

“The goal of my first bill is to expand access to agricultural education by investing in those with an interest in teaching it,” Reitz said. “I am committed to working with the education advocates, the agriculture community, as well as other stakeholders that share Southern Illinois’ most core values.”

Joseph Bustos is the state affairs and politics reporter for the Belleville News-Democrat, where he strives to hold elected officials accountable and provide context to decisions they make. He has won multiple awards from the Illinois Press Association for coverage of sales tax referendums.

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May 24, 2019 at 10:39AM

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SIU Board could soon be among most student-dominated in higher education

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CARBONDALE — The governing board of Southern Illinois University could soon become one of the most student-dominated in the country, as a long-debated issue nears resolution.

Legislation introduced by state Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, to give votes to both student members on the SIU Board of Trustees — one from the Carbondale campus, one from SIU Edwardsville — is on Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk after clearing the House and Senate, Stuart announced Monday.

Under current law, the Illinois governor chooses one student representative to be the voting member each year, weighing in on many of the highest-level decisions at the university, from multimillion-dollar purchases and contracts to tuition hikes. The other student holds an advisory seat on the board.

Typically, the vote alternates between the two campuses each year, but the governor may use his or her authority to deny voting power to both student trustees, or to keep the vote at the same campus for consecutive years.

Giving both students a say, Stuart said in a news release, will ensure equal representation for both campuses and eliminate the the governor’s ability to meddle in student voting privileges to influence the board.

If approved, the measure will also make the student voice more than twice as influential at SIU as at most major Midwestern university systems, with students holding two out of nine board votes.

At University of Illinois, by comparison, there is one voting student out of 11 trustees, though two other students hold advisory seats on the board.

At the University of Missouri, there is one voting student out of 10 on its board of curators.

At Indiana University, there is one voting student out of nine. At the University of Tennessee, one out of 11. At the University of Kentucky, one out of 16.

“This legislation is important for establishing equity between the SIU institutions,” Stuart said, “Both the Edwardsville campus and the Carbondale campus deserve the opportunity for their student interests to be equally represented each year.”

From 2018 to 2019, the vote rested with SIUC student trustee Brione Lockett, who will relinquish it this summer.

“I love this,” Lockett said of the legislation. “I’d be remiss if I didn’t say it’s cool to have another year of a vote, but I think this makes nothing but sense. Right now you’re asking students to read all these documents and show up to meetings and not get a vote. The vote is the reward for that hard work.”

J. Phil Gilbert, chairman of the SIU board, has also endorsed the bill, HB 2239, as has SIU Interim President J. Kevin Dorsey.

“We’re looking forward to the governor signing this bill,” Dorsey said. “This gives both student trustees an equal place on the board and provides them with the full ability to represent their peers at their respective campuses.”

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However, former Gov. Bruce Rauner saw things differently.

In August of 2015, he vetoed a nearly identical piece of legislation, saying increasing students’ voting power would dilute “the insight gained from the other trustees’ years of professional experience.”

“Having two student voting members is not necessary or advisable,” read a statement explaining his decision. “The Board of Trustees must consider difficult budgetary issues, academic requirements, and student conduct and disciplinary issues. The long-term views of professionals must be given appropriate weight.”

Rauner did not award a vote to either student representative during the 2014-2015 school year, board records show.

For his part, Lockett said student trustees are often as prepared as their fellow trustees, and are capable of taking a “system approach” without bias toward their home campuses.

Each month, Lockett estimated, he spends between one and two weeks of his working hours on board matters: reviewing documents, doing research and holding meetings.

“At times has it affected my schoolwork? Oh definitely,” he said. “But that’s how much I cared about it.”

Since he took office last July, Lockett has hosted a series of “Campus Conversations,” providing a rare opportunity for students to speak directly with high-level university administrators.

Recently, Lockett and SIUE student trustee Molly Smith hosted one of Lockett’s signature conversations at Edwardsville, taking questions on controversial university issues like the ongoing fair funding allocation study.

“That was, ‘Let’s show we’re really about the system by the students getting together and sharing our perspective,’” Lockett said.

Lockett also acknowledged the change would place added responsibility on students to elect dedicated peer leaders.

“Often, these elections can be a popularity contest,” Lockett said. “Will there be someone who comes after me that feels as strongly as I do and is as open as I am? Probably. We’ll have to see.”

The Pritzker administration declined to take a public position on HB 2239, when asked Thursday.

“The administration is currently reviewing the bill,” confirmed Pritzker spokesperson Jordan Abudayyeh.

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May 22, 2019 at 07:41AM

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The X Factor: Should Illinois Nix Algebra Requirment?

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Pleasant Plains is a small but prosperous town about 15 minutes northwest of Springfield. Its schools are all rated “commendable,” and their test results outshine state averages in every subject.

And yet, in March, the high school principal, Luke Brooks, asked Illinois lawmakers to stop requiring algebra.

Speaking to a House education committee, Brooks said algebra “…is the number one failed course in my high school and most schools around; it’s the number one failed in community college.”

 

He said sure, 90 percent of his students would still opt for the traditional path of Algebra I, geometry, algebra II, pre-calculus. But what about the kid who just wanted to be a welder and got so frustrated he dropped out?

“We scream college and we whisper career,” Brooks told the committee. “And these kids who want to go into careers and have a skill set — we will give up financial literacy, statistics, construction math — and we basically, for lack of a better term, we just slide that away and say, ‘You must know this,’ even though most statistics will tell you less than maybe 7 percent of the working world uses algebra. I just think it’s disingenuous of a lot of adults to say ‘This is what human intelligence is.’ ”

State Rep. Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville), who is on the committee, immediately asked to be listed as a chief co-sponsor of his bill. That might seem surprising considering her resume. She has a degree in mathematics from Rutgers University, a masters in mathematics from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, plus certification in mathematics education from Tulane University in New Orleans.

Stuart also taught math in grades six through 12. The Pleasant Plains principal’s plea to create a path for non-math kids really resonated with her.

“We need some other type of course,” Stuart says. “We need to offer our juniors and seniors more of these applied mathematics — financial mathematics, or a real in-depth look into probability issues, or anything like that — to give them an option, as opposed to what we think of as a traditional pre-calculus course.”

Stuart says although she personally “loves trigonometry,” she also understands that most people don’t.

“Trigonometry really puts the world together, if you understand what’s going on,” she says. “But you can understand the world without understanding trigonometry.”

In fact, at SIUE, Stuart helped create a course called Quantitative Reasoning, to replace the traditional math requirement that stymied so many students. Still, she’s not willing to grant Brooks’ wish to get rid of algebra altogether.

“I can’t see it being responsible in getting rid of any algebra requirement at all,” she says. “I think it’s important. So I’m not willing to just say three years of (any) math carte blanche.”

 

She negotiated an amendment that keeps the Algebra I requirement, but allows geometry to be taught as a component of an “integrated, applied, interdisciplinary or career and technical course,” such as carpentry.

Rep. Mike Murphy (R-Springfield) filed both the original bill and the amendment. Married to a school teacher who retired after 31 years in the classroom, Murphy obviously has empathy for his constituent, Principal Brooks.

“You know the number one reason kids drop out of college is they can’t pass math,” he says. “I saw this report online the other day: 27 percent [of dropouts] is because they fail, and math is the number one thing they fail.”

But Murphy also hopes to dig into the broader problem.

“One of my plans to do this summer is, I want to put together a little study group, task force, or whatever you want to call it, on why are we failing in math?” he says. “What are we doing as a country? What are we doing as a state? I don’t have that answer.”

Meanwhile, the amended bill won unanimous approval in the House, and is headed for a vote in the full Senate.

 

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May 20, 2019 at 06:26AM

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Bill suspending teacher basic skills test in Illinois heads to governor

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SPRINGFIELD — A test required for teacher licensing that many argue has contributed to the state’s teacher shortage might soon be suspended.

The Illinois Senate on Thursday passed and sent to Gov. J.B. Pritzker House Bill 423, which would put what is known as the “test of basic skills” on hold until July 1, 2025, while state officials try to determine whether that will help relieve the state’s teacher shortage.

The bill also calls on the Illinois State Board of Education to re-evaluate the method it uses to score another mandatory test that prospective teachers must pass, one that measures their mastery of the content area in which they want to teach.

Those tests are among three tests that applicants for teaching licenses in Illinois must pass. They also must pass a test covering their content area and a test covering teaching practices and standards, known as the edTPA.

A separate bill, House Bill 256, by Chicago Democratic state Rep. Will Guzzardi, would drastically overhaul that exam as well by removing a component requiring prospective Illinois teachers to video themselves in an actual classroom setting. That bill also passed the House in April, but has not yet been assigned to a Senate committee.

Those tests were the subject of extensive hearings in the Illinois House where state Rep. Sue Scherer, a Decatur Democrat and chief sponsor of the bill, questioned their value and effectiveness.

Scherer, a retired teacher, and others have also suggested that they deter many people from trying to enter the teaching profession and that they have a disproportionate impact on people of color, contributing to the state’s teacher shortage.

“We are at a crisis level in the teacher shortage,” Scherer said on the House floor during debate over the bill. “It’s affecting basically every region in every area across the state, which some people are unaware of. Many classrooms are sitting there without a qualified teacher. I know of a school district that right now has 50 open classrooms without a qualified teacher.”

The bill suspending the basic skills test until 2015 passed the House in April, 85-25. It passed the Senate on Thursday, 55-0.

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May 17, 2019 at 06:12PM

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Ill. lawmaker introduces gun regulation legislation

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“I’m sponsoring a commonsense, pro-gun bill to defend southern Illinois from the one-dimensional Chicago-assault on legal gun ownership. This proposal will protect our Second Amendment values by creating exceptions for law enforcement and military personnel,” Reitz said. “It also ensures the World Shooting Complex in Sparta is exempt from recently imposed gun regulations which negatively impact our vendors and small and locally owned businesses in the area.”

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May 15, 2019 at 08:42PM

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