McHenry County Blog

A press release from State Rep. Mike Tryon:

Tryon Co-Sponsors Legislation to End Scholarship Program

SPRINGFIELD – A controversial scholarship program that provides full tuition waivers for each State Representative to award to students in their home legislative districts will officially end this year.

Mike Tryon

State Rep. Mike Tryon (R-Crystal Lake), a co-sponsor of the bill, said that while he has seen students from District 64 benefit tremendously from the program, the time has come to discontinue it.

“In this difficult budget year, every penny counts,” he said.

“As we face tough decisions regarding funding for all levels of education, it is not appropriate for us to force our State universities to absorb these tuition waivers.”

Through the program, students are awarded full tuition waivers to use at the State school of their choice.

According to Tryon, the system did not have rigid guidelines that prohibited some legislators from handing out the waivers to political allies or donors.

In his office, Tryon said he has always been completely removed from the process, and an independent committee always reviewed the applications and determined the recipients.

“The only time I would see the list of recipients would be after the process was complete so I could ensure that the waivers were spread evenly between the towns I represent.”

In 2011, 1,327 tuition waivers were awarded in Illinois, costing the State $13,508,800.

This $13.5 million is an unfunded mandate on State universities, where the cost is then passed on to other students paying tuition.

“In times like these, unfunded mandates and extra costs to our universities need to be eliminated,” Tryon said. “It was a difficult vote because I know that in some cases the waiver made a difference between a child going to college or not going to college.”

In addition to abolishing the General Assembly Scholarship Program, House Bill 3810 creates the Tuition and Fee Waiver Task Force to evaluate tuition and fee waiver programs offered by State universities.

“The creation of the task force was a key selling point for me, because I believe there still exists a serious issue where children of very high-paid university employees are attending college tuition-free,” Tryon said.

“I believe the waivers need to be either eliminated across the board, or at a minimum that those who continue to receive them should have the amount of the waiver treated as taxable income.”

The bill has been sent to the Governor for his signature.

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Names of those who will receive Tryon’s last legislative scholarships follow:

• Rosa Wu, Jacobs H.S.
• Brittany Daley, Jacobs H.S.
• Brandon Bencko, Huntley H.S.
• Stephanie Konecki, Crystal Lake Central H.S.
• Helen Bengtson, Prairie Ridge H.S.
• Bodecker DellaMaria, already in college, from CL
• Bridgette Martinak, already in college, from Algonquin
• Riley Quinlan, already in college, from Algonquin

A press release from State Rep. Kent Gaffney:

Gaffney, Sullivan Turn Down Legislative Scholarship Program

Ed Sullivan

Kent Gaffney

Barrington, IL… Due to State budgetary troubles, State Representatives Kent Gaffney (R-Lake Barrington) and Ed Sullivan (R-Mundelein) have jointly decided to turn down the General Assembly Scholarship Program offered to each legislator in the Illinois General Assembly.

The General Assembly Scholarship Program is an unfunded mandate that allows legislators to award up to eight scholarships each year covering tuition at State universities.

“While many people have benefited from this program, in times like these, unfunded mandates and extra costs to the State need to be reviewed,” said Gaffney. “Illinois just had its ninth bond downgrade in the past four years and the State is facing billions of dollars of unpaid bills. We need to look at every option available to save taxpayer dollars, this not the time to be awarding Legislative Scholarships.”

In 2011, 1,327 tuition waivers were awarded in Illinois, costing the State $13,508,800. This $13.5 million is an unfunded mandate on State universities, where the cost is then passed on to other students paying tuition. Tuition rates in Illinois have been skyrocketing the past few years. Since 2003, the University of Illinois’ tuition rate has gone up 53%, averaging $14,414 a year. With State finances in dire straights and taxpayers getting hit with a 67% tax increase, Gaffney and Sullivan want to cut costs by not participating in the program.

“I have participated in this program since I was first elected and many deserving students have benefited from these scholarships. However in these tough economic times, tough decisions have to be made,” said Sullivan. “My office will no longer be offering the General Assembly Scholarship.”

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Here’s what Mike Tryon is doing.

Mike Tryon

Some state legislators are refusing to grant legislative scholarships, but State Rep. Mike Tryon is not one of them.  Here is his press release on who can apply and how to do it:

Tryon General Assembly Scholarship Applications Now Available On Line

Crystal Lake…. High School seniors and current college students residing in the 64^th legislative district of Illinois are invited to apply for a General Assembly Scholarship from State Representative Michael Tryon’s district office.  The application is available on his website at www.michaeltryon.com.

The General Assembly Scholarship program awards eight one-year, tuition-only scholarships to the University of Illinois or any other public university in the state, and applications are judged by an independent scholarship committee.

“It is wonderful to be able to promote our state university system and reward some of our bright young adults for their hard work,” said Rep. Mike Tryon (R-Crystal Lake).  “This is one of the most fulfilling jobs I have as a state legislator.”

To qualify for the General Assembly Scholarship, students must meet the following requirements:

• The student must be enrolled in a degree-granting program for the 2012 Fall and 2013 Spring semesters
• The student must be a resident of the 64^th legislative district
• The student must show evidence of good grades and leadership potential as demonstrated through extracurricular activities
• The student must be planning to continue his or her education within the Illinois state university system

“College can be a tremendous tool for our young adults working to make their way in the world,” said Tryon. “I am very happy to be able to help a few of my constituents work toward their college degree.”

The deadline to submit a scholarship application is March 23 at 5 p.m.  Rep. Tryon’s district office is located at 1 N. Virginia Street in Crystal Lake.  For more information about the scholarship program, please contact Rep. Tryon’ District Office at 815-459-6453.

Here’s a press release from State Senator Kirk Dillard, a candidate for the GOP nomination for governor:

Dillard Renews Ethical Judgment Charge at Debate Important Party Nominates Candidate Who Can Win in Fall

(Lisle, IL) – Illinois Republican candidate for governor Kirk Dillard today renewed his charge that Andy McKenna’s ethics violation sends the wrong message to voters and contrasts sharply from Dillard’s record as a leader on ethics reform. GOP officials announced last week that McKenna, while Chairman, used party funds to further a possible run for political office.

Dillard has said that as Chairman of the DuPage County Republican Party he was never found guilty of ethics violations. “My opponent Andy McKenna, the ‘insider,’ cannot say the same,” Dillard said at the West Suburban Chamber of Commerce debate in Countryside.

Dillard also questioned the ethical judgment of Jim Ryan for taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Stuart Levine, later convicted of influence peddling during the Blagojevich administration. “Unlike my opponent Jim Ryan, you won’t find any of my close friends or largest contributors sitting in a federal holding cell for a ‘pay to play’ scheme,” Dillard said. Ryan did not attend the debate.

Dillard argued that Republicans need to nominate a candidate who can win back the governor’s office in November, not someone who reminds voters of the Blagojevich/Quinn administration. “The stakes are too high. The judgment of our candidate for Governor should not be in question,” Dillard said.

Dillard has pledged to shut down his campaign fund when sworn-in as Governor. “The state is in crisis, and I need to spend all of my time governing, not fundraising,” Dillard explained. “We need a Governor who will lead by example to end corruption and focus all of his attention on making Illinois work again.”

Dillard was first elected to the Illinois Senate in 1994. He served as Chief of Staff for former Governor Jim Edgar and was Legislative Affairs Director for former Governor Jim Thompson.

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Not included in the press release was this criticism of opponent State Senator Bill  Brady:

“Sadly, we do have candidates here of my own party who lack ethical judgment too:  Bill Brady, I haven’t taken a $10,000 contribution from a contributor and given their child free tuition at the University of Illinois Medical School.”

I found that in the Sun-Times story about the debate.

The following press release has been received from Crystal Lake’s State Rep. Mike Tryon:

STATE REP. MIKE TRYON AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS

Crystal Lake…. State Representative Michael Tryon (R-Crystal Lake) announced the winners of his 2008/09 General Assembly scholarships. The program awards eight one-year tuition-only scholarships at the University of Illinois or any other public university in the state and is judged by a scholarship committee.

“It is wonderful to be able to take advantage of our state university system and reward some our children for their hard work,” said Tryon. “This is one of the most fulfilling jobs of a state legislator.”

To qualify for the General Assembly Scholarship, students must meet the following requirements:

1. The student must be enrolled in a degree granting program for the 2009 Fall and 2010 Spring semesters
2. The student must be a resident of the 64th District
3. The student must show evidence of good grades and leadership potential as demonstrated through extracurricular activities
4. The student must be planning to continue his or her education within the Illinois State University System

“College can be a tremendous tool for our young adults working to make their way in the world. I am very happy to be involved in the process, helping students achieve their goals,” added Tryon.

The recipients of this year’s scholarships are

• Colleen Bechtold of Prairie Ridge High School attending Southern Illinois,
• Russell Cardelli of Dundee Crown High School attending University of Illinois,
• David Grochocki of Crystal Lake Central High School attending University of Illinois,
• Christopher Kang of Crystal Lake Central High School attending University of Illinois,
• Susannah Koch of Crystal Lake Central High School attending University of Illinois,
• Nashrah Maryum of Crystal Lake South High School attending University of Illinois,
• Shaina Murphy of Crystal Lake Central High School attending Illinois State University,
• Hiran Patel of Crystal Lake attending University of Illinois College of Medicine, and
• Alison Svoboda of Huntley High School attending University of Illinois Springfield.

For more information about the scholarship program, please contact Rep. Tryon at 815-459-6453.

Undoubtedly the med school scholarship is the most valuable.

For those of you with kids going to an Illinois state university, you should know that each state representative and senator has four one-year legislative scholarships to the University of Illinois and four to the other universities in the state system.

Applications can be obtained from each of the legislators.

I explain a little bit more about them iI wrote in March of 2006.

Relatively few apply.

Ask your state representative and senator for an application.

For those of you with kids going to an Illinois state university, you should know that each state representative and senator has four one-year legislative scholarships to the University of Illinois and four to the other universities in the state system.

Applications can be obtained from each of the legislators.

I explain a little bit more about them iI wrote in March of 2006.

Relatively few apply.

Ask your state representative and senator for an application.