Press Releases...
2007
News from State Representative Jim Watson
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
Contact: Jim Watson
October 18,
2007
(217) 243-6221
Watson Denounces Democrats’ Inaction on Education
Funding
Jacksonville, IL – State Representative Jim Watson
(R-Jacksonville) is denouncing inaction on legislation to implement education
funding increases for Illinois schools.
Last week, House Republicans pushed for a vote on a budget
implementation bill that would enact the education funding increases passed in
the FY 2008 State Budget. Unfortunately, a majority of Democrats blocked action
on House Bill 4151, the education budget implementation (BIMP) bill. Without
passage of an education BIMP bill, school districts throughout Illinois will not
receive the nearly $600 million increase in education funding passed in the FY08
budget.
“We made the time to discuss other legislation during the
past few weeks, yet we leave our school districts without the funds we promised
them two months ago?” Watson said. “Abandoning our schools like this is simply
absurd.”
HB 4151 contains the $400 per pupil increase in the general
state aid foundation level of funding, as well as a $1,000 per teacher increase
in special education personnel reimbursement. It also includes provisions to
ensure that no school district will receive less in state aid dollars than they
received last year. If the General Assembly does not pass the statutory changes
necessary to implement the education budget, the State Board of Education will
not be able to increase the general state aid payments to Illinois school
districts.
“I have heard from educators throughout the 97th
District in recent days. They all what to ensure that our children receive the
best education possible,” Watson added, “but school districts cannot be expected
to merely guess when crafting a district budget. Schools in the 97th
District shouldn’t have to suffer in the name of political gamesmanship and
infighting within the majority party.”
####
| 
