Legislation would harm U of I system

As a proud alum of the University of Illinois, both Urbana-Champaign and Springfield, I’d like to share with you information about legislation pending in Springfield and respectfully call fellow Illini alums, as well as parents, students and friends to action. I’ve never before written a letter to the editor, but the negative implications of House Bill 1531/Senate Bill 41 pulls me out of my comfort zone and onto the field to oppose its passage.

In short, this legislation would lock in a new, misguided annual state formula that will draw away available funds for the University of Illinois. It would undo at least a decade of innovation, achievement, in-state student admissions gains and tuition stability throughout the University of Illinois system. These are concepts Illinoisans across generations successfully sought and received from the University of Illinois.

As someone who, as a member of Gov. Edgar’s staff, helped develop state university budgets in the 1990s, there are more sensible and strategic ways the General Assembly can restore and enhance those public universities in our state that are struggling. rather than reducing the level of funding to the three University of Illinois campuses that have delivered such positive and sustained benefits to residents across our state.

The legislation sets artificial barriers without any real evaluation of what it would do to the University of Illinois, where over 53% of this state’s public university graduates are enrolled. We’re in the final two months of this legislative session, but it’s not too late to weigh in and get your state legislators to pump the brakes on this well intended, but off-track higher education funding formula. Your common-sense citizen-stakeholder communication to legislators can make a difference.

Please take the time to join me on the field and let your state legislators know where you stand.

Tom Livingston

Springfield