Legislative Updates

Latest Legislative News

Catholic Conference of Illinois (CCI)

December 2011

We want to thank all of you for participating in this Legislative Action Network process. Remember we need to continue building a relationship between the school and our local state representatives and state senators.

GRANT PROGRAMS

ISBE has spent the last month collecting public testimony on their fiscal year 2013 budget proposal. CCI has continued the same message of urging ISBE to recommend funding for the Textbook Block Grant Program in the fiscal year 2013 proposed budget.

HOUSE BILL 3479

This creates a tax credit for contributions, by any taxpayer, to qualified student assistance organizations. The credit may not exceed $100,000 for any one taxpayer and will total 90% of the contribution. Student Assistance Organization’s will use the money to provide educational support services or to provide scholarships covering the qualified educational expenses of low-income students enrolling in a nonpublic school. At least 50% of expenses must be used on students living within the boundaries of a failing overcrowded public school as defined in the legislation. The program will be capped at $30 million annually. There have been two meetings to date. We are in the beginning stages, and much work remains, but this approach is essential to success.

HOUSE BILL 1199 AND SENATE BILL 1964

These appropriation bills filed last spring are to advocate for the legislature to restore textbook funding. CCI is using these pieces of legislation for focusing grassroots advocacy and as a means for proving support among members of the General Assembly. Last spring, as a result of this work, funding for the textbook program ($9.5 million) was included in the budget passed by the Senate, but ultimately not in the budget that became law.

ESEA REAUTHORIZATION

Our priorities in reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act include the idea of establishing an alternative model (3^rd party provider) for determining and distributing federal grant dollars for services entitled to Catholic schools, administrators, teachers and students. President Obama’s administration recently announced a waiver system for allowing public schools to avoid the accountability standards of ESEA. Many states, including Illinois, have signaled their intention to apply for the waiver. CCI has communicated to ISBE that any waiver sought cannot relieve local school districts of their responsibility to ensure the equitable participation in federal education programs of students enrolled in non-public schools. CCI also intends to pursue the 3^rd party provider idea within the context of the state’s waiver request.