Delivered via email: February 5, 2021
Illinois General Assembly Set to Return Next Week
The Illinois General Assembly will be back in Springfield next week, but it most likely will not be in session long. After working into the morning hours to wrap up the 101st General Assembly, the 102nd General Assembly was sworn in on Wednesday, January, 13 and has not been back in session in nearly a month. Find out more about the end of the last and the beginning of the new General Assembly in IASB Legislative Report 101-27.
IASB Advocacy
Last year, the Illinois Senate adopted rules for the chamber which allowed for remote committee hearings. The Illinois House is expected to follow suit during the February 10th one day session next week. The advocacy of school board members and local school leaders is always a key to the success of the IASB legislative agenda, but this year with remote legislative hearings and limited participation, the involvement of IASB member district boards of education in the legislative process is more important than ever. The first step in advocating for your schools and students is to make sure you know your legislators. Over half of the members of the Illinois General Assembly are new to their chamber in the last five years. You can find your legislators and their contact information by using our legislator lookup.
Bills Impacting Boards of Education
The work of the General Assembly has continued unabated even without formal session dates. IASB Position Statements direct the work of the Governmental Relations staff. We have been drafting previously adopted position statements into bill form to be discussed before the House and Senate at a future date for 2021. We look forward to keeping you up-to-date on the progress being made with those initiatives on your behalf.
While IASB is working to get legislation introduced, many other groups are doing the same. Over 600 pieces of legislation have been introduced in the 102nd General Assembly with many more expected. As in years past, nearly one-third of the legislation introduced will have some impact on local school boards. Look for our weekly reports to stay up-to-date on the action taking place in the Illinois General Assembly. Access the Illinois General Assembly website for information on individual bills, schedules, and more.
Illinois State Board of Education Adopts Budget Recommendation
At its January meeting, the Illinois State Board of Education recommend an appropriation of $7.58 billion for Fiscal Year 2022. This amount provides $300 million for distribution as Evidence-Based tier funding, $50 million for Property Tax Relief Grants, and $12.1 million to integrate the District Intervention Grants into Evidence-Based Funding. When the appropriations committees in the House and Senate convene, ISBE will present recommendations to be considered. ISBE budget recommendations are a first step in the process to adoption of the funding and priorities for our schools.
IASB needs your help in facing the legislative challenges that are sure to come this spring. Stay engaged with IASB and the Statewide School Management Alliance by reading our Alliance Legislative Reports, and by following us on Facebook and Twitter.