SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel, a staunch advocate for education, supported the Fiscal Year 2024 budget that was signed into law Wednesday, putting Illinois on a path toward fiscal responsibility and investing in education from preschool to college.

“As chair of the Senate Appropriations-Education Committee, this budget is a win for all levels of education,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “We are paving the way for kids to be lifelong learners. Investing in Early Childhood, K-12 and higher education is essential for our future leaders.”

The FY 24 budget puts a total of $250 million toward a new program – SMART Start Illinois – a multi-year program to provide investments in preparing children to be lifelong learners. As part of the plan, $75 million will be sent to the ISBE Early Childhood Block Grant to increase preschool availability with a goal to add 20,000 slots by 2027 and provide every Illinois child with access to a preschool spot if they want one.

“Research has shown how vital Early Childhood education is. By supporting early intervention we are setting students up to succeed in the classroom,” said Loughran Cappel. “When we invest in Early Childhood education, we have to ensure that there will be teachers available to teach. That’s why I pushed to invest in our teacher pipeline so that we can tackle the teacher shortage before it’s too late.”

The budget increases the state’s tuition assistance program, the Monetary Award Program, funding by $100 million – a 75% increase in funding over five years. This increased funding allows nearly all community college students and 40% of public university students at or below median income levels to have their tuition and fees covered through MAP and Pell Grants.

Middle class families will also be able to take advantage of the $50 million investment for the AIM HIGH program which provides merit-based, means-tested student financial aid to first-time, full-time undergraduate students and transfer students who are Illinois residents attending any of the 12 Illinois public four-year universities.

“I spent 15 years in the classroom,” said Loughran Cappel. “My career has led me to be a strong advocate for our teachers and students. I’m proud of what this budget does for our schools, students, families and education professionals.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood) released the following statement after the Senate’s approval of a budget for Fiscal Year 2024 and revenue package:

“An additional pilot River Edge Redevelopment Zone will be coming to the City of Joliet to revitalize the area – something I strongly advocated for. Joliet will see a significant growth in the local economy and the revitalization will bring life to historic buildings, boost property values and more.

“As chair of the Senate Appropriations-Education Committee, I was a voice at the table for our teachers, students and educational professionals. Getting students in the classroom at an early age sets them up to be lifelong learners. Continuing our duty to fund the evidence-based funding model is crucial for schools to have the resources needed to provide a quality education and for teachers to be able to adequately and efficiently do their jobs.”

SPRINGFIELD – In an effort to recognize and honor Illinois veterans, State Senator Loughran Cappel led a measure that would allow the Secretary of State to issue United States Submarine Veterans special license plates.

“After hearing from a number of constituents, I saw the reason this was important to submarine veterans,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “We have to honor the sacrifices all our veterans have made and this is one way we can show our support.”

House Bill 1581 would allow the Secretary of State to issue United States Submarine Veteran license plates to Illinois residents who served in the United States Navy as a submariner. New York and Connecticut offer similar submarine service license plates.

The Illinois Secretary of State's Office offers a number of different specialty license plates. Requests for these license plates can be accepted at Driver Services Facilities.

“Our armed forces uproot their lives, leave their families and head off to fight for our country and we can’t thank them enough for that,” Loughran Cappel said.

House Bill 1581 passed the Senate with bipartisan support.

SPRINGFIELD – To increase access to state resources, State Senator Loughran Cappel passed a measure through the Senate that would create a program for grandparents raising their grandchildren in Will County to have a better understanding of what state programs are available.

“Grandparents frequently assume the role of raising their grandchildren,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood).  “However, many people are unaware of the various resources available to them. This initiative aims to simplify the process and provide caregivers with a local point of contact to access the resources they need.”

House Bill 780 would create the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Pilot Program in Will County. The measure would require the Senior Services Center of Will County to designate an intake coordinator to collect resources offered by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Department of Human Services, Department on Aging, Department of Healthcare and Family Services and State Board of Education, and provide coordination and education services at Senior Service Centers to serve Will County residents.

Loughran Cappel’s measure requires the intake coordinator to be knowledgeable about the Extended Family Support Program, Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, Children’s Health Insurance Program and be a designated point of contact at each agency within 14 days of appointment.

An annual report would be required to be submitted to the General Assembly including the number of families who received referrals to relevant services, specific services each family was referred to and received, and related information regarding frequency of calls and visits to the coordinator's office in the previous calendar year.

“Together, Leader Natalie Manley and I worked to increase access to resources so Will County residents can better understand what is available for those who are raising their grandkids,” Loughran Cappel said.

House Bill 780 passed the Senate.