Statement of IEA President Ken Swanson on Proposed Illinois State Budget

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., Feb. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The following was released by the Illinois Education Association:

The 130,000 members of the Illinois Education Association join the chorus of protests against Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

We strain to be heard over the clamor, however, because we speak for the students and teachers of public education in stating this budget is woefully inadequate.

The governor’s proposal calls for only a $300 million increase for preK-12 funding — $260 million less than last year’s increase. Additionally, that increase relies on an inappropriate and unstable revenue source: a higher tax on gaming and the sale of an unused casino license.

The budget proposal slams the door on higher education, providing no funding increase and targeting Illinois colleges and universities for cuts. The steady erosion of financial support for higher education has reached a crisis, forcing tuition hikes that make a college education increasingly unaffordable to Illinois families.

Appropriately, this budget is getting a cold shoulder from Republicans, Democrats and everyone else who cares about quality education in Illinois.

The governor stressed putting Illinois to work to rebuild the struggling economy. We urge the governor and policy-makers to get to work on a budget that adequately funds the foundation of a strong economy: public education.

Illinois Education Association

CONTACT: Denise Ward of the Illinois Education Association,+1-217-544-0706, deward@nea.org