Conroy: Governor's Veto Threatens Future of Illinois' College Students

After voting to override the Governor’s veto of legislation to fund Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants already promised to nearly 130,000 Illinois college students, despite the override failing, state Rep. Deb Conroy, D-Villa Park, released the following statement:

“Creating a brighter future for our state and our young people is among my top priorities as a legislator. I believe it is important that we restore much needed funding for MAP grants, community colleges and adult education that allows those who want to better themselves to obtain the skills they need to be successful in our 21st century workforce.

“I am deeply disappointed that the future of so many college students throughout the state is jeopardized because so many were unwilling to help me override the governor’s veto. Last year, hundreds of thousands of college students across the state were able to attend college with the help of MAP grants. Right now students cannot receive their diplomas without the monetary assistance they were promised and community colleges are suffering after not receiving any state funding for months.

“We cannot make decisions to the detriment of young people, to middle-class families or to the fiscal stability of our state. I stand ready to address the fiscal challenges facing our state and to work in a bipartisan fashion on a balanced approach to a state budget.”