A communication from State Senator Karen McConnaughay:

Senator McConnaughay’s Legislative Update: April 18, 2016

Last week the legislative majority pushed through another spending plan without funding to cover it. The newest proposal promises nearly $4 billion to human service providers and higher education, but does not identify a way to pay for the spending.

In other news, as we continue working to find solutions, I was honored to host the winners of my 33rd Senate District Art Contest. The winners’ artwork was recognized and proudly displayed at the Capitol this week. You may read more about this year’s art contest here.

Also last week, the Senate Executive Committee considered one of several anticipated proposals to change the state’s flawed education funding formula.

I strongly agree in fixing the formula and express concerns that the proposal was moving forward without critical data from the State Board of Education that would provide a more complete picture of how the legislation would affect Illinois’ school districts. School administrators and teachers, taxpayers, education experts and other key stakeholders should be at the table when crafting a new education funding reform proposal which is why I am hosting an education funding video conference call with these groups for further discussion.

Additionally, the four legislative leaders had their first meeting of the New Year with Governor Bruce Rauner. Though the budget stalemate is far from resolved, the meeting was viewed as a positive step.

This is a sign of progress and hopefully solutions will be formed in the coming weeks.

On another note, Landmarks Illinois announced that the Illinois Youth Center (IYC) in St. Charles is on the 2016 list of Most Endangered Places in Illinois. I advocate for the preservation of this project and plan to work in tune with Landmarks Illinois on this initiative.

As always, I hope you will contact me or my office with any questions or concerns you may have. You can also visit my legislative website at www.senatormcconnaughay.com.

Sincerely,

Karen McConnaughay
State Senator for the 33rd District

Spending plan with no revenue

The legislative majority again pushed through a spending plan with no revenue to fund it.

The latest proposal promised nearly $4 billion to human service providers and higher education but failed to identify a way to pay for the spending.

The proposal has been sent to the Governor, who has indicated he intends to veto the measure.

However, Senate Republicans recently introduced their own plan to fund certain social service programs.

Unlike the plans introduced by the legislative majority, this plan is accompanied by a way to pay for the spending.

Click here to read more…

Education funding proposal heard

The first of what is expected to be several education funding reform plans was heard this week in the Senate Executive Committee. Senate Republican lawmakers, who have been vocal about the need to reform Illinois’ flawed education funding formula, expressed concerns that numbers are not yet available from the State Board of Education to give a full picture of how the proposal would affect school districts throughout the state.

During the hearing on the bill, Republicans said changing the state’s education funding formula should be part of a larger conversation that gets all stakeholders involved. Lawmakers must perform their due diligence to ensure that Illinois students receive the funding they need to receive a quality education. That involves engaging in a comprehensive discussion on school funding, reliant on input from schools, taxpayers, education experts and other key stakeholders.

Click here to read more…

Roskam calls for bipartisan action

In a letter to House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton, Congressman Peter Roskam, a former member of the Illinois General Assembly, called for bipartisan compromise to end Illinois’ budget impasse and cautioned against empty spending proposals.

“To date, the governor and Republican leaders have rightly rejected billion dollar spending bills that promised to spend money the state didn’t have. Low-income college students cannot use IOUs to fund their MAP scholarships. Forcing the state deeper into debt does not free up resources for our social safety net,” said Roskam.

Click here to read more…