SPRINGFIELD — Two measures sponsored by State Senator Pat McGuire (D-Joliet) as part of his push to modernize higher education and make college more affordable have been signed into law.

The first piece of legislation, House Bill 4675, reclassifies the sources of two funds for adult and career education. This is in response to confusion about the funds’ sources in an earlier budget bill that led to the two funds — which totaled $43 million — being left out of the earlier bill.

The second new law, House Bill 6009, streamlines the data collection process that community colleges must undertake and updates other state laws regarding higher education.

“These two bills provide clear financial relief for our state’s community colleges by trimming bureaucracy and increasing efficiency by eliminating duplicative services,” said McGuire, chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee. “Modernizing the nuts and bolts of community college administration is an integral part of making higher education more affordable.”

Having been signed by the governor, both bills are now law.

Children who come to school with the least deserve our help the most.

Senate President John Cullerton todaywill put up for a vote Senate Bill 2054, a preschool-through-high school (P-12) education funding bill. Under this legislation, school districts throughout the state with low-income students will gain state funding. Students in Chicago will gain, students in downstate communities that have lost their coal mines and factories will gain, and students in every one of the 15 school districts here in Senate District 43 will gain.

Illinois, despite all the bad press, remains the fifth most-populous state with the fifth-largest economy of any state. It is morally right and economically necessary to use our resources to offer all Illinois school children a first-class education.

P-12 funding is the keystone of efforts to pass a state budget to support human services, higher education, public safety and highway construction. Please urge Governor Rauner, the legislative leaders, and Senate and House members to support SB 2054.

JOLIET — Thursday’s disclosure that the number of Illinois students applying for Monetary Award Program grants to help pay for college is down 13 percent is nothing but bad news for Illinois, according to State Senator Pat McGuire (D-Joliet).

“College graduates earn more, pay more in taxes, are healthier, and are more active in civic affairs,” said McGuire, chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee. “Yet Illinois is discouraging its own high school graduates from continuing their education by failing to fund the need-based financial aid program that has helped millions of Illinois residents get ahead for almost 50 years.”

The Illinois Student Assistance Commission, which administers MAP, says the 13 percent is a decline from the 320,000 students who applied last year. Approximately 130,000 of those applicants were promised MAP grants. However, the governor last summer vetoed the $397 million in MAP funds authorized by the General Assembly. Most public and private colleges and universities consequently fronted MAP funds to students.

A late April bipartisan measure — Senate Bill 2059 — sent 43 percent of the promised MAP funds to the students' schools, and a month later the General Assembly sent the governor House Bill 4167, authorizing the rest of the $397 million promised. However, the governor has yet to sign HB 4167, and the number of schools able to continue fronting MAP funds to students is declining.

“Students who qualify for MAP qualify because they have low incomes, good grades and ambition,” McGuire said. “How stupid of us to signal to them by funding MAP less than halfway last year and maybe not at all this year that they shouldn't even bother with college.”

JOLIET — As each day without a proper state budget passes, the financial condition of the state’s human services providers grows more and more perilous. Today, State Senator Pat McGuire has urged the governor to sign legislation that will free hundreds of millions of dollars for these beleaguered providers.

“In late April and early May, the General Assembly hit on a winning, bipartisan formula to get sorely needed funds to higher education and human services, the two parts of the current fiscal year budget that are stuck,” McGuire said. “The governor signed the bill for higher ed but so far refuses to sign the bill for human services. For the sake of Illinois’ most vulnerable residents, Gov. Rauner needs to sign Senate Bill 2038 right away.”

Painful decisions have been made by human service providers all across the state, including in the 43rd District. Pam Heavens, executive director for Will-Grundy Center for Independent Living, says the focus must be on those who receive these vital services.

“Due to the budget impasse, Will-Grundy Center for Independent Living was forced to lay off a full-time staff member and institute furlough days. Human service providers are suffering due to the impasse; some may close,” Heavens said. “The never-ending finger pointing must stop. Focus must be on ensuring that the most vulnerable citizens have access to the services that keep them healthy and strong.”

Senate Bill 2038 provides about $700 million in emergency funding to human services providers who contract with the state of Illinois to assist ill seniors, survivors of sexual assault, homeless youth, and persons fighting mental illness and substance abuse. The measure was sent to the governor May 18 after passing the Senate and House with “yes” votes from every Democrat and Republican voting.