I’m frequently asked “Isn’t it frustrating to be in the minority in the House?”
Yes.
It is indeed frustrating to see good ideas not even be allowed a hearing. It is frustrating to spend hours sitting through “political theater” that adds nothing productive to our discussion. And it is supremely frustrating that we continue to spin our wheels this fall on important issues such as funding higher education when it didn’t have to be this way.
I was very excited to be chosen in the spring to serve on the House Higher Education-Appropriations Committee which is charged with reviewing and recommending appropriate funding for our colleges and universities. The committee also recommends funding for state grants that help students pay for their education, including the Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants.
During our spring session we held more than seven Appropriations hearings in which we took testimony from the University of Illinois and other institutions on their funding needs. We also held working group meetings on April 16, April 23, April 30 and May 7. In none of these hearings and meetings did we once discuss actual appropriations, a revenue number, or the budget in any way. Despite that being the committee’s primary responsibility, repeated attempts by me and others who wanted to actually work on the budget and appropriation process were quickly quashed by the majority party. What should have been done in May is still left undone.
As a result, here we are in November with no university funding appropriation passed, and no MAP grant appropriation for students even though the Governor recommended no cuts to MAP grants. According to Comptroller Leslie Munger, more than 130,000 students statewide are impacted by the delay in MAP grant funding.
That’s beyond frustrating.
In my column last month I told you why, despite the frustration and negativity, I remain hopeful that we will eventually reach agreement on a budget. This month I have another reason to add to that list. Speaker Madigan’s majority in the House may continue to deny our budget realities and delay the hard work to try to maintain their status quo, but the majority of Illinois families will continue to demand progress on a responsible, balanced spending plan that funds universities and all of our communities’ priorities. In that respect, I’m in the majority after all.
