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The ball is still in the legislature’s court

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Illinois

Illinois advocates gathered in Springfield on Wednesday to push the state to release $50 million budgeted for after-school programs this year, saying the delay has cost some workers their jobs and caused parents to lose child care.

The Afterschool for Children and Teens Now coalition, known as ACT Now, is asking for the Illinois State Board of Education and Gov. J.B. Pritzker to distribute the money to after-school providers as soon as possible and continue funding programs in the state’s next budget. […]

Susan Stanton, executive director for ACT Now, told Chalkbeat that the coalition is seeing a “ripple effect” from after-school programs shutting down, with parents losing child care.

A spokesperson for the Illinois State Board of Education said the agency is waiting on “further guidance” from the General Assembly regarding how to distribute the $50 million appropriation since it was “not tied to an existing statutory program.” The funding was not part of the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning grants, the spokesperson said.

* I’ve written about this before…

The Democratic legislative leaders and the governor agreed to squirrel away $260 million in lump-sum appropriations to various state agencies last spring. But now some groups are figuring out that a big pile of state money is just sitting there and they are trying to stake their claims.

This came to light last month when the Chicago Tribune reported that people advocating to replace the lost federal money for after-school programs wanted to tap into two separate $25 million lump-sum legislative appropriations to the Illinois State Board of Education for “grants and administrative expenses associated with after school programs.”

Trouble is, the governor committed to the House speaker and Senate president not to spend that money until all three could agree what it would be spent on.

* From yesterday’s press conference…

Q: The governor’s office and ISBE [are] saying that the legislature appropriated $50 million but they didn’t provide any instructions for how that money is supposed to be allocated, and the discussion in the budget negotiations last year was that it would be distributed when legislative leaders provide them with direction. So the ball has kind of in the legislature’s court. What are they waiting on?

Sen. Celina Villanueva: Unfortunately, it’s been a back and forth, and there isn’t 100% clarity on exactly where everything is at right now. So the reality is this, we know that these programs are important, we know these services are important. I am a legislator, and I know several other legislators that have been here, this is about prioritizing as we’re having the conversations right now, because we’re also talking about next year’s budget, so it’s kind of a two-fold approach. We need to make sure that the money that is in the current fiscal year budget is actually coming out and getting to the places where it needs to get to. Unfortunately, this is like, there’s a lot of hold-up. But we’re also talking about making sure and continuing to fight for continued investment in these programs. So right now, there isn’t a clear answer to you to be 100 percent.

Q: What is contributing to that hold-up? Is that why you said it isn’t 100 percent clear right now?

Sen. Villanueva: There’s a lot behind that.

Please pardon all transcription errors.

The bottom line hasn’t changed: ISBE can’t release the funds until the leaders (mainly the House Speaker) decide what to do with the money.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Mar 20, 25 @ 11:50 am

Comments

I am confused. Will the AG sue the State to release this money as he has sued the feds to release the money that is owed to the State? One has to be consistent.

Comment by Florida Sunshine Thursday, Mar 20, 25 @ 12:05 pm
===I am confused===

Yes, you are. The state money in question here hasn’t been appropriated to a specific program. The federal money to the state has been appropriated, grants have been made, contracts have been signed.

I assume you’re just being a reply guy. You come off like an idiot.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Mar 20, 25 @ 12:13 pm
Alright, the entire conversation seems asinine. First, how can the three of them squirrel away 250 stacks like nom noms for use later without raising just a smidgey of concern. Second, “leaders do the work”; “leaders lead”; insert other played and cliche sound bite used to justify strong handed tactics used by some of the folks sitting on their hands. But, just not right now? If it were being set aside for use in a rainy-day style fund, 100%, understood. This does not seem to be that and all the while the only folks suffering are children. Help me reconcile, smart people of CapitolSnacks.

Comment by Barry Zuckerkorn Thursday, Mar 20, 25 @ 1:29 pm