Some quick session updates
Wednesday, May 30, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Start reading if you want…
The Quincy veterans’ home will get $53,775,000 for various improvements, which is agreed language. Let us know what else you find in there.
…Adding… House Amendment 2 to SB3128 is the statutory language on the Quincy veterans’ home rebuild. It gives the administration five years to do a “design build,” and has some Procurement Code relief similar to what they did with the Thompson Center. It also requires the administration to provide unredacted copies of any communication with the federal government related to the project, because they haven’t yet received assurances that the feds will pay for it.
The BIMP will likely be added to HB3342.
* Meanwhile, Senate President John Cullerton unveiled new language today on Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s carjacking bill. Senate Amendment 2 to HB1804 is reportedly backed by Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. It removes all the language on presumptive juvenile detention (Rep. Jaime Andrade’s proposal removed part of it), but it retains the “inference” language…
For a minor arrested or taken into custody for vehicular hijacking or aggravated vehicular hijacking, a previous finding of delinquency for vehicular hijacking or aggravated vehicular hijacking shall be given greater weight in determining whether secured custody of a minor is a matter of immediate and urgent necessity for the protection of the minor or of the person or property of another.
The original legislation is here. Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) was the sponsor of that bill, but she handed over sponsorship to Rep. Andrade today. She said this afternoon she’s not sure yet how she’ll vote on the new bill. She voted against Rep. Andrade’s bill.
* Some good news via press release…
The Small Business Advocacy Council (SBAC) is proud to announce that legislation amending the archaic Liquor Control Act of 1934 passed out of the Illinois House and Senate with strong bipartisan support.
The SBAC lead the charge to pass SB2436, a bill to amend this outdated statute which prohibits the sale of alcohol within 100 feet of a religious institution, school, hospital or military station. Until now, the only recourse for a small business owner to receive an exemption was for a bill to be drafted, passed by the General Assembly and signed into law. Most small business owners don’t have the time or resources to tackle this burdensome process.
The whole process was ridiculous. Good riddance. Let the city council decide stuff like this if they want.
…Adding… I should note that Gov. Rauner feels the same way I do on this topic. He vetoed the last exemption after saying he’d never sign another one. He pushed hard to get this changed. Good for him.
* Also…
* As always in times like these, keep a close eye on our live coverage post for constant updates.
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Report: Rauner considers budget deal “balanced”
Wednesday, May 30, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tina Sfondeles…
If all goes well, the Illinois General Assembly is in a position to pass a budget on Wednesday that Republicans — with Gov. Bruce Rauner’s approval — say is balanced. […]
And a budget summary from Senate Republicans, given a stamp of approval by Rauner’s office, calls the budget “balanced.” That summary touts that it contains no tax increases — a key talking point for both his administration and his re-election campaign. […]
Revenue changes include using a $200 million fund balance from a Refund Fund to offset costs, as well as using $66 million from “higher than expected state investment returns.” The Senate GOP summary also concludes that the sale of the Thompson Center would bring in $300 million. That inclusion has been a point of contention for years, and was also in Rauner’s budget proposal last year. […]
It also includes $500 million for a proposed Discovery Partners’ Institute through the University of Illinois — a project both Rauner and Mayor Rahm Emanuel have touted as a significant addition to the state’s educational landscape.
Money would be included to help build a new Quincy veterans’ home, although the number is not specified in the document.
…Adding… There’s some confusion in comments. Anticipated proceeds from the Thompson Center sale were previously booked as end-of-year surplus cash. They weren’t appropriated. Likely gonna be the same this year. We’ll see.
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By Hannah Meisel
* Southern Illinois University’s board of trustees is having a special meeting here in Springfield today as tensions reach a fever pitch over a potential split between SIU’s Carbondale and Edwardsville campuses. Click here to watch the Daily Egyptian’s live video stream.
On Sunday, the Southern called for SIU system president Randy Dunn to resign because of his perceived nonchalance about a possible split, and oh yeah, the “b*tchers from Carbondale” comment still seems to be poisoning the conversation…
Randy Dunn can no longer effectively serve as president of the Southern Illinois University system.
According to documents obtained by SIU Carbondale faculty member Kathleen Chwalisz and others provided by Board of Trustees member Phil Gilbert, Dunn appears to have withheld information from SIUC Chancellor Carlo Montemagno regarding a proposed $5.1 million shift in funding from the Carbondale campus to SIU Edwardsville.
The funding shift was in reference to the 60-40 split in state monies Dunn insists has been a part of the SIU system’s budgeting process since 1979.
To compound matters even further, Dunn sent a damning email to SIU Edwardsville chancellor Randy Pembrook, SIUE Budget Director Bill Winter, and Vice President for Administrative Affairs Duane Stucky stating that a reference to the 60-40 split was “simply to shut up the bitchers from Carbondale who are saying loudly we shouldn’t even be doing the $5.125M at this time.”
* Other coverage from today includes this Tribune story…
Southern Illinois’ trustees have scheduled a special meeting on Wednesday to discuss several bills that could dramatically change how the university is run. The outcome could compel the board to depart from its publicly neutral stance.
At issue is how money is divided between the flagship campus in Carbondale and its sister school in Edwardsville, which receives less funding even though it has grown to nearly match Carbondale’s enrollment.
“It is difficult to wear two different hats,” Edwardsville Chancellor Randy Pembrook said. “On one hand, we’re talking about what is in the best interest of the system, but the trustees live in a certain area, and they’re human. They are part of a community and these universities are very important parts of their towns.”
* Local TV…
During the open portion there will be three resolutions on the table (HB 1292, 1293, 1294) in regards to the 50/50 Appropriations, SIU System Split, and the “Reconstitution” of the Board of Trustees.
The board will vote on the University’s position on this, whether in favor, against or if they will remain neutral.
Randy Dunn has already said he wouldn’t resign. We covered this last week, but Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Swansea) says publicly that he’s going to call his bill to split SIU if the resolution to study the issue doesn’t go through. We’ll see what happens today.
*** UPDATE *** The board of trustees rejected a resolution to split the system in two and passed a resolution to oppose splitting the system.
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Budget details begin to leak out
Wednesday, May 30, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
[This post has been bumped up to Wednesday from Tuesday night for visibility purposes.]
* Tribune…
Lawmakers have entered what could be the final stages of negotiating a budget that would limit state spending to $38.5 billion by cutting funding for prisons and human services and buying out some state pensioners, according to budget documents obtained by the Tribune. […]
The budget blueprint envisions spending $5.9 billion on human services, $1.8 billion on colleges and universities, $1.7 billion on public safety and $1.2 billion on government services, the documents show. A new $25 million scholarship program would be created to encourage students to attend school in Illinois. Universities would be asked to match it. Early childhood education and K-12 schools would get a total of $8.4 billion, which represents an increase of $50 million for early childhood education and $350 million for primary and secondary schools — the yearly increase that was envisioned in a new education funding formula that was enacted last year.
The plan lays out spending $20.4 billion on pensions, debt payments, Medicaid and health insurance for state workers — all expenses over which lawmakers have little control.
It would make $124 million in cuts at state agencies, including $47 million from both the Department of Corrections and the Department of Human Services. And pension costs would go down by $444 million, largely due to two new “buyout” plans that were not explained in the outline documents.
* Sun-Times…
With fingers crossed, lawmakers say they’re hoping to pass the budget framework entirely as soon as Thursday morning. And sources said Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration is on board with the proposal, so far. […]
According to the budget document, budget reductions include $124 million to state agencies, including nearly $47 million each for the Departments of Corrections and the for social services and $55 million less for the Department of Juvenile Justice.
Pension costs would drop by nearly $445 million. The documents attribute $41 million of that to an “inactive buyout,” which would include a group of workers who haven’t reached retirement. Another $22 million would be cut by limiting salary spiking to 3 percent. […]
According to a budget framework, the budget does not include a shift of the normal cost of employee pensions to the local employer and removing the state group health insurance program from collective bargaining; or eliminating health insurance subsidies for retired teachers. […]
The framework includes an additional $350 million for evidence based funding for school districts; an additional $50 million for early childhood; an increase of 2 percent to universities and community colleges; $25 million for a new tuition grant program that will provide additional tuition assistance to try to stem the tide of students fleeing Illinois; a $0.50 wage increase for Direct Service Providers; and an increase in rates to child providers by 4.26 percent.
* SJ-R…
Rep. Greg Harris, D-Chicago, also said “there are several decisions that are yet to be made by the leaders” before the final touches can be placed on the budget. He said the issues include how to handle certain infrastructure projects like replacement of the Illinois Veterans’ Home in Quincy and funding for the Obama presidential library in Chicago.
One thing that is not on the table is an expansive capital construction plan that would involve issuing bonds and finding a new revenue source to pay for them.
“We’re not talking about raising gasoline taxes or (imposing) a vehicle mileage tax,” said Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, one of the budget negotiators.
* WTTW…
Lawmakers will try to boost enrollment at Illinois’ public universities via a new program (Senate Bill 2927) on the fast track that would create a merit-based “AIM HIGH” scholarship available to Illinois residents with qualifying grade point averages and incomes. Regional schools like Southern Illinois University and Western Illinois University have seen steep enrollment declines that administrators attribute to higher education funding cuts over the years, and particularly during the recent years-long budget stalemate.
Such spending could trigger nips and tucks in spending on other priorities.
The budget is not predicated proceeds from an expansion of gambling, after opposition from the city of Chicago helped to fell a massive gambling expansion package that would allow it and five other locations to host casinos. […]
While there’s a general sense of optimism in Springfield, there is a constant undercurrent of unease: Democrats doubting that under pressure from conservatives or with an eye toward November’s election Rauner will not sign a deal into law, Republicans who fear that Democrats will use the levers of legislative power to pull a fast one and will tuck a new, expensive program into a budget bill at the last minute.
Subscribers will have more tomorrow.
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High hopes for higher ed in bill package
Wednesday, May 30, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
[This post has been bumped up to Wednesday from Tuesday night for visibility purposes.]
By Hannah Meisel
* The higher education working group did a quick presser this afternoon to unveil their package of six bills that colleges and universities have been asking for, especially as they have been hammered over the last few years of a budget impasse combined with the brain drain they were already facing. Some institutions responded by freezing tuition, raising tuition, or increasing non-domestic recruitment. All solutions come with their own baggage.
From a Sunday story about SIU…
Adjusted for inflation, the cost of SIU Carbondale’s tuition and fees has increased about 150 percent for Illinois residents in the last two decades.
We’ll come back to that story, but back to today’s news.
Two big ones in the package are the AIM HIGH Grant Pilot Program (SB2927) and HB5020, which would stop the practice of making MAP grants kind of a “one and done” deal.
AIM HIGH is a $25 million ask for a new merit-based scholarship. Conditions for the scholarship would include Illinois citizenship and meeting a benchmark GPA and test scores. Lawmakers said they were crossing their fingers that it could be included in a final budget this week, but seemed like they wouldn’t be losing any sleep if it waited til the fall. It’s meant to bring in two types of students missing from Illinois campuses: those who go elsewhere and those who go nowhere.
“Several of our public university presidents told us that their biggest competitor is nowhere,” Sen. Pat McGuire (D-Joliet) told reporters. “These are students who gain admission to Illinois public universities but come fall they don’t matriculate to the public university to which they gained acceptance, nor to a community college. They don’t go to any two- or four-year institution.”
Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) said HB5020 is exactly what admissions officers have been asking for. MAP grants are currently administered on a one-year basis and students who received a MAP grant one year is never guaranteed one the next year. HB5020 would give MAP grantees priority the following year, for four years.
“These out-of-state schools come in and offer four-year awards and then [in-state schools] are stuck back pedaling, ‘Well, you might get MAP, you might not and it’s only good for a year, yada yada yada,’” Rose said.
* One other notable bill in the package would “greatly” expand debt limits at the state’s public universities in order for them to address deferred maintenance. Some universities desperately need this. Always striking to see a brand new building next to a dilapidated one.
Back to the SIU story…
When it comes to increased reliance on tuition, SIUC is not alone: A 2018 study by the State Higher Education Executive Officers found that tuition, rather than state and local dollars, has become the primary revenue source for public colleges and universities in most states across the nation.
John Jackson, now a visiting lecturer with SIUC’s Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, watched the university increasingly turn to tuition as the state’s funding retracted or barely grew over the course of his four-decade career as an administrator and teacher at the institution. […]
Jackson, who has been writing and editing a book about the last fifty years of SIUC’s history, said he considers rising tuition the number-one cause of the university’s precipitous enrollment decline. […]
“Yes, there is evidence that cutting state appropriations raises tuition. There is also evidence that higher tuition actually leads to lower state appropriations. … It’s a very complicated nest of factors and publicity that really cause these tuition changes,” [Jennifer Delaney, an associate professor of higher education at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign] said.
Thoughts?
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