Cunningham passes higher education reform package

• higher education
• college administrators
• College of Dupage

SPRINGFIELD—Community colleges and state universities may see a lot of changes coming soon when it comes to administration pay and severance packages.

State Senator Bill Cunningham proposed a reform package after the Senate Democratic Caucus Report on Higher Education Executive Compensation revealed lavish perks, golden parachutes and a lack of transparency in hiring and firing of administrators.

“This was about taking steps to protect taxpayers and tuition payers from abuse by college and university administration,” Cunningham said. “Lavish perks, like country club memberships, were forcing students to pay more and taxpayers to cover more costs when tuition was not enough.”

The legislative package consists of six bills:

•    Senate Bill 2155 would require that the Illinois Community College Board to conduct a peer review of the community colleges for their compliance with transparency laws, bonus payments, contract provisions and the Open Meetings Act.
•    Senate Bill 2156 ends the current practice of allowing bonuses, housing and vehicle allowances, or club memberships to be considered pensionable income.
•    Senate Bill 2157 requires that community college trustees must complete four hours of professional development leadership training.
•    Senate Bill 2158 prevents lame duck community college boards from renewing or signing a contract with the college’s chief executive before a new board is sworn in.
•    Senate Bill 2159 limits severance for state university executives to one year plus benefits, limits the length of a contract to 4 years and forbids automatic rollover clauses.
•    Senate Bill 2174 requires state university board members must complete four hours of professional development leadership training.

“Public officials need to be held accountable and that includes our state universities and community colleges,” Cunningham said. “Making our higher education system more transparent will prevent costly mistakes later down the road.”

The legislation now moves onto the House.

Cunningham votes to deliver critical funds to students, communities

• SB 2046
• MAP Grants

SPRINGFIELD—Many students and communities throughout the state could be receiving much needed aid soon after the State Senate approved Senate Bill 2046. Senator Cunningham had the following statement:

“These programs and services are vitally important to all communities in the state, and we must take steps to ensure they don’t end,” Cunningham said. “This is about ensuring the government keeps its promise to our students who should have received MAP grants. This is about keeping sexual assault prevention programs functioning. We cannot just let these vital services go defunct.”

SB 2046 is now headed to the governor’s desk.

Cunningham measure would help bring justice to rape victims in Illinois

• local government
• sexual assault
• state police

SPRINGFIELD—Senator Bill Cunningham is pushing for a measure that would ensure local police departments are held accountable when it comes to sexual assault kits.

The legislation, Senate Bill 2221, would require that if the local police department did not follow up on the positive match, then the proper state’s attorney would be notified by the state police. It would also require that an inventory be taken both at the state police and the local police departments of all DNA kits in their possession.

“It is a travesty that many cases that have potential DNA matches are not being followed up on,” Cunningham said. “These are cases that could have closure and we need to be taking steps to ensuring criminals are being caught and that they have their day in court.”

According to the Cook County Sherriff’s Office, several law enforcement agencies still have untested sexual assault kits or cases that have not yet been pursued even though a potential DNA match has been found.

Recently, the Village of Robbins was alerted to a positive match on a DNA test kit yet the police department did not follow up with that positive match.

“We need to ensure that we know what happens to these cases and that action is being taken on them. We should hold local law enforcement agencies accountable to protect and serve their communities,” Cunningham said. “That is what this legislation does. It ensures that evidence is being utilized and criminals are being brought to justice.”

The Senate Criminal Law committee passed the legislation without objection. It now moves to the full Senate for consideration.

Cunningham prioritizes agriculture education

SPRINGFIELD—Students looking to get into agriculture could be without the necessary educational opportunities to spring them forward in the industry.

In the most recent budget proposal from the governor’s office, agriculture education in Illinois is set to be cut completely out of the budget. In past years, agriculture education has received nearly $2 million.

Senator Bill Cunningham has proposed legislation that puts a priority on agriculture education instead of slashing it to zero.

“We need to be prioritizing the industries that make Illinois great. Agriculture is one of those industries,” said Senator Cunningham. “We need to continue to invest in agriculture education, not just end it.”

A recent report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture stated that in the coming years there will be about 60,000 new ag-related jobs. Yet only about sixty-one percent will be filled with qualified graduates.

Senator Cunningham proposed Senate Bill 2975, which would also put a priority on training and preparing the next generation of agriculture education teachers. The legislation recently was assigned to the Senate Education Committee.

“I have a high school in my district that emphasizes the importance of agriculture to students in Chicago. Now is not the time to quit emphasizing that importance,” Cunningham said.

Last fiscal year the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences received $12,000 from the state for ag education. Now the governor is proposing the school absorbs the loss of funding, while Chicago Public Schools is set to lose $78 million in state support this fiscal year.