SPRINGFIELD – On Tuesday, the Illinois Senate pushed through legislation that would finish funding state services through the end of the current fiscal year. The legislative package included legislation that would send promised MAP grant money to students for the current fiscal year.

“The state of Illinois committed to assisting students in bettering themselves by attending a university or community colleges,” Cunningham said. “We need to send the money we promised these students so that they aren’t left hanging with the bill.”

The legislation also would fund critical human service programs who saw what little funding was available from the stopgap proposal end on December 31.

“Groups like Sertoma, Park Lawn and Sandbox Learning Center have gone for far too long with no certainty that funding is coming,” Cunningham said. “Today, we were able to give them some hope by starting to pass this compromise.”

CHICAGO – The story of a young Ian Piet and his family recently has caused two Illinois legislators to join his fight against lung cancer. State Senator Bill Cunningham and Representative Kelly Burke have signed up to Hustle Up the Hancock held by the Respiratory Health Association on February 26, 2017.

“I met Ian at the State Capitol and listened to his story about how his dad struggled with lung cancer,” Cunningham said. “When he asked if I could join his team to find a cure for respiratory diseases like lung cancer I was ready.”

Tinley Park resident Piet lost his father to lung cancer in 2015, motivating him and his mother, Holli, to become advocates for a cure for lung cancer and other respiratory diseases. Ian worked with Senator Michael E. Hastings to declare November 2016 Lung Cancer Awareness Month.

“I am excited to join the thousands of other climbers to raise money for this fantastic cause,” Burke said. “We can all do our part to defeat lung cancer by raising money to invest in research and promote healthy living.”  

Senator Cunningham and Representative Burke will join Senator Hastings and Ian in their 94-story climb up the John Hancock Building to raise awareness and funds to find a cure for lung cancer.

SPRINGFIELD – During inauguration on Wednesday, Senator Bill Cunningham voted to pass a measure that would place term limits on the amount of time a senator could serve as senate president or minority leader to 10 years.

“By implementing term limits on leaders, we can allow for a diverse range of ideas,” Cunningham said. “This is about ensuring that we can continue to do the work of the people no matter who is leading the chamber.”

Cunningham hopes that the House will consider the same measure in the future.

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois agriculture education will be receiving a boost thanks to measure pushed by State Senator Bill Cunningham that goes into effect on January 1, 2017.

The legislation, Senate Bill 2975, will add agriculture education as an area of identified staff shortage, which would make additional scholarship money available for those who want to go into agriculture education.

“There is a shortage of qualified agriculture education teachers in Illinois,” Cunningham said. “As a result, fewer students are receiving science and business-based instruction that could prepare them for the growing number of jobs available in agriculture.

Cunningham pointed to a recent Purdue University study that found nearly 58,000 jobs will open annually across the United States in occupations involving food, agriculture, and natural resources over the next five years, but colleges and universities are not training enough students to qualify for those jobs.