Dear Editor,
I joined my Senate colleagues on April 22 in unanimously approving two bipartisan measures to bridge funding both for higher education and for critical human services. The proposals aren’t ideal solutions, but they represent compromise and include the needed financing for the programs.
It is important to note that this stop-gap funding for higher education and human services resulted from cooperation and productive conversation between legislators, legislative leaders and the governor.
The measure we unanimously approved contains funding from the Education Assistance Fund: more than $350 million for state universities, more than $74 million for community colleges, more than $169 million for Monetary Award Program grants, and $6 million for the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. This funding will have an immediate impact on the lives of Illinois’ residents.
The Senate also approved a measure that appropriates $600 million from the Education Assistance Fund to higher education and $441 million from the Commitment to Human Services Fund to help pay for critical human services programs. This proposal is currently pending in the House of Representatives.
During this process, my Senate Republican colleagues and I fought to ensure that any budget bills advanced be fully funded and not provide a false promise like other measures recently advanced by Democratic legislative leaders.
The challenges aren’t over and debate will continue. But these measures demonstrate Illinois lawmakers’ interest in resolving the state’s issues. I look forward to getting more work done together, especially enacting a responsible full budget.
Sincerely,
Chris Nybo
State Senator, 24th District