SPRINGFIELD – Days after the Rock Valley College Board of Trustees announced it may be forced to raise tuition on students because of the ongoing state budget impasse, State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) voted to override Gov. Rauner’s veto of funding for the college.

Because of the governor’s veto, Rock Valley College has yet to receive any funding for FY16. In December, the college also issued layoffs to 30 employees.

“How high will Rock Valley College have to hike tuition before the governor realizes higher education has to be a priority for Illinois? We cannot continue to hold students and employees hostage because of these ongoing political games in Springfield,” said Stadelman.

The legislation, Senate Bill 2043, also provides funding for MAP grants for middle- and low-income students to help pay for higher education. In 2015, there were more than 1,700 recipients of MAP grants in the Rockford area alone.  

Despite the ongoing budget crisis, the state continues to collect taxpayer money. Stadelman believes these programs should be a priority.

“We need to focus on prioritizing the funding we have to invest in education. The governor recently proposed the largest education bill for K-12 students in state history. He should show that same commitment to all Illinois students,” Stadelman said.

The veto override now heads to the Illinois House.

SPRINGFIELD–State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) issued the following statement after Gov. Rauner signed House Bill 3763 into law, funding Illinois public schools. Because of a change in the funding formula, schools without access to vast local resources will receive additional state funding. Rockford School District will receive almost an additional $11 million, while Harlem School District will receive almost an additional $1.5 million.

“I applaud Governor Rauner for putting aside political gamesmanship to ensure that our children are able to go back to school this August. This legislation, which I co-sponsored on behalf of Rockford-area schools, will result in more than $12 million in additional funding for our school districts. These additional funds will help prevent potential teacher layoffs and school closings, and hopefully reduce the burden on property taxpayers.

“While there is still much work to be done, this shows bipartisan cooperation results in the best outcome for our state. Thanks to Democratic majorities in the House and Senate and a Republican governor, Rockford area schools are a clear winner.”

There are two leading theories on pension reform at the Capitol as lawmakers try to pare down a nearly $100 billion pension fund debt. One gives employees and retirees a choice of keeping some benefits while giving up others. The other lets the state unilaterally reduce benefits for employees and retirees. Click here to view and download PDFs for the two pension proposals.