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ICCTA Action Alert
March 13, 2000
The Illinois General Assembly
has completed half of the spring legislative session. This generally
means that House bills (bills filed in the House) that have passed
the House are now in the Senate for consideration. Senate bills
(bills filed in the Senate) that have passed the Senate are now in
the House for consideration. The legislature is not in session
this week and will return to Springfield on Wednesday, March 22,
the day after the general primary elections. The General Assembly
is scheduled to be in session four more weeks until the scheduled
adjournment date of April 14.
FY 2001 Budget and
Tax Relief
The FY 2001 community college
budget has been before Appropriations committees in both the
Senate and House. Dr, Joe Cipfl, president of the Illinois Community
College Board, testified before both committees in support of Gov.
George Ryan's budget, which would provide community colleges with
a 6.2% increase in state support in the next fiscal year.
There are developing initiatives in the General Assembly, however,
to provide general TAX RELIEF or TAX REFUNDS to the
citizens of Illinois this fall. If a plan emerges to provide
tax refunds or relief, it is probable that the Governor's budget
will be reduced to fund the measure. The result could mean up to
a $29 million reduction in the Governor's increase for higher
education.
Although tax relief is a laudable goal, ICCTA strongly OPPOSES
any reductions in Gov. Ryan's budget recommendations for FY 2001.
Community colleges are dependent on two primary sources of tax
revenue -- state income tax and local property tax. The proposed
budget cuts are targeted for income tax relief but would force
greater dependency on local property taxes. This will be aggravated
if lawmakers do not provide revenue from state resources to tackle
local education needs.
Bills of Interest
to Community Colleges
Transfer of Adult Education to ICCB (House Bill 4266 -- Ryder)
ICCTA Position: SUPPORT
House Bill 4266 would transfer all of ISBE's powers and duties
concerning adult education to ICCB on July 1, 2001. ICCB would
then be allowed to enter into contracts with eligible providers;
to accept federal funds for adult education and adult literacy;
to administer a network of providers, programs, and services to
provide adult basic education, adult secondary/general education
development, English as a second language, and other instruction;
and to supervise the administration of adult education and adult
literacy programs. HB 4266 unanimously passed out of the Senate
Education Committee and is positioned for a final vote in the Senate.
#911 Number/Location Identification (Senate Bill 1400 -- Klemm)
ICCTA Position: SUPPORT
SB 1400 would delay until June 30, 2001 when telephone switchboard
services must be connected to the public switched network in a
manner that calls to "911" result in automatic number and location
identification. Current law mandates June 30, 2000 as the deadline.
SB 1400 passed out of the House Public Utilities Committee and is
positioned for a final vote in the House.
MAP Grant Increase (SB 1538 -- Watson)
ICCTA Position: MONITOR
This legislation increases the maximum Monetary Award Program grant
for full-time students by $210 (from $4,530 to $4,740). Community
college students cannot access these higher grant amounts because
community colleges do not charge tuition rates that are high enough
to qualify students for the higher grants. SB 1400 unanimously
passed out of the House Higher Education Committee and is
positioned for a final vote in the House.
Illinois Career Scholarships (HB 4265 -- Wirsing)
ICCTA Position: SUPPORT
HB 4265 creates the Illinois Career Scholarship program,
administered by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission,
to provide high school students not seeking baccalaureate
degrees with a non-need-based, non-renewable $1,000 incentive
to pursue alternative postsecondary training in occupational
programs certified by the Illinois Workforce Investment Board,
the Illinois Community College Board, the Illinois State Board
of Education, or the Illinois Board of Higher Education. HB 4265
passed out of the House and was sent to the Senate for further
consideration.
Elimination of IBHE Site Approval for Opportunities Fund Projects
(HB 3993 -- Wirsing)
ICCTA Position: SUPPORT
HB 3993 would change the purposes for which expenditures and
distributions from the AFDC Opportunities Fund shall be made
to ICCB. It removes the requirement that the board of a community
college district have IBHE's prior approval before entering into
an installment loan arrangement with a financial institution to
borrow money to buy sites and to buy or build and equip buildings
and improvements. HB 3993 passed out of the House and was sent to
the Senate for further consideration.
Quern Information Technology Grants (SB 1444 -- Dillard)
ICCTA Position: SUPPORT
SB 1444 would provide up to $2,500 per need-based grant for
retraining in information technology fields. The scholarships
would be named Arthur F. Quern Technology Grants after the former
chair of the IBHE. SB 1444 is scheduled for hearing in the House.
Dissection Alternatives Act (HB 3254 -- Gash)
ICCTA Position: OPPOSE
Under this legislation, schools may excuse a student from performing
or observing dissection and may allow the student to instead
perform an alternative project; it also provides that the student
may not be penalized for refusing to participate in or observe
dissection. ICCTA generally opposes efforts by the General Assembly
to mandate higher education curriculum. HB 3254 is in the Senate
Rules Committee with no action scheduled.
Free Tuition for "B" Students (HB 3831 -- Lang)
ICCTA Position: SUPPORT
/This bill creates the State University Scholarship Act, which
would allow scholarships to be awarded to entering freshman,
sophomores, juniors, and seniors at public community colleges
and universities when the student maintains a "B" average.
The scholarship -- which is subject to the amounts appropriated
by the General Assembly -- would include tuition and mandatory fees.
HB 3831 is in the Senate Rules Committee with no action scheduled.
For additional information on state legislative issues,
contact ICCTA at 1-800-454-2282.
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Illinois Community College Trustees Association
401 E. Capitol Ave., Suite 200
Springfield, IL 62701-1711
217-528-2858 (phone)
217-528-8662 (fax)
ICCTA@communitycolleges.org (e-mail)
http://www.communitycolleges.org |
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