Illinois House GOP leader seeks compromise in Rauner plan

“The action is taken in anticipation of the state’s resolution of the budget crisis and restoration of the MAP grant funding to all institutions”.

Like you, I have been closely following the ongoing battle to fund higher education in IL, including funding to community colleges, state universities and Monetary Assistance Program (MAP) recipients.

Madigan said he was “honored” to have Garcia’s endorsement, adding that he is “proud to work with him to strengthen our neighborhoods and protect our families and what we have worked hard to build”. Dunkin has drawn criticism from fellow Democrats – even eliciting an ad-libbed admonishment from President Barack Obama during his recent visit – for not standing with the party on key votes.

As Rauner has done throughout the past year, he tried to pin the problem on House Speaker Michael Madigan, saying the current school funding formula that Democrats now want to change was created by the veteran lawmaker.

Brown said one concern is that the state wouldn’t have to repay the money borrowed from special funds a year ago, including almost $180 million from the school construction grant fund and $40 million from a program that gives grants for acquiring and preserving open space, among others. I urge that we all come together and support this plan as the best option to get MAP grants into the hands of students and restore operational funding to our community colleges and state universities.

“School districts like ours have high degrees of poor minority children who need more money, not less money, to receive a good education. That fails, and that scares employers away”.