Rep. Ron Sandack Urges Citizens to File On-Line Opposition to SB16

Concerned about a committee hearing that has been scheduled in Springfield to gather testimony about SB16, State Representative Ron Sandack (R-Downers Grove) is asking Collar County residents to get involved in the fight to stop the bill by filing official slips and statements of opposition with the committees that will hear the bill on November 18.

“When suburban lawmakers in the collar counties were holding SB16 information meetings over the last month, we were repeatedly promised by the Chief House Sponsor of SB16 that she would not be calling it for a vote anytime soon,” said Sandack. “The timing of this hearing concerns me, because a new General Assembly will be seated in less than two months. Why would a hearing be scheduled now, just in time for the veto and lame duck sessions, unless there was a plan in place to move the bill before the new General Assembly is seated?”

As written, SB16 would strip millions in General State Aid (GSA) away from DuPage and other collar county school districts. Specifically, the school districts located within IL House District 81 would lose anywhere between 73% and 87% of their GSA if SB16 is passed and signed into law.

· Naperville District 203: $9,441,776 loss in aid (-76.1% reduction)

· Downers Grove Grade School District 58: $2,180,761 loss in aid (-73.2% reduction)

· Darien School District 61: $1,375,861 loss in aid (83% reduction)

· Community High School District 99: $3,019,941 loss in aid (77.1% reduction)

· Center Cass School District 66: $615,214 loss in aid (76.9% reduction)

· Woodridge School District 68: $3,212,670 loss in aid (87.4% reduction)

“We should all be outraged about this,” Sandack said. “This would be a game-changer for how students in this area are educated.”

According to Sandack, the General Assembly web site allows residents to submit “witness slips” identifying their support or opposition to a bill. Sandack is asking anyone who wants to preserve educational funding for suburban school districts to file a slip using the following directions:

1. Go to: http://my.ilga.gov/WitnessSlip/Create?committeeHearingId=12229&legislationId=0

2. Complete sections I and II. For “Firm/Business or Agency,” enter “taxpayer” or “school district taxpayer” or some other identifying words

3. Under “III Position,” select the “opposed” button

4. Under “IV Testimony,” people may file an optional written statement that will be shared with all of the committee members. Because these optional statements must be faxed or hand-delivered, Sandack is asking those who wish to submit a written statement to email the statement to his office at: repsandack@gmail.com. He will hand-deliver them. Those who do not wish to submit a written statement should just select the “Record of Appearance Only” button.

5. Fill in the verification code

6. Click the box to accept the terms

7. Click “Create Slip”

“We all need to work together to derail this despicable bill,” said Sandack. “We need to inundate those committees with our loud message that SB16 is not the solution to Illinois’ school funding problems and let them know that we will not accept this unfair, inequitable reallocation of funds.”