SPRINGFIELD- This week Senator Trotter (D-Chicago) supported legislation that authorizes Governor Pat Quinn to use allocated discretionary funds to save the Monetary Award Program for the remainder of the 2010 fiscal year. "In May my colleagues and I in the Senate worked hard to provide a balance budget solution that would protect MAP grants," Trotter said. "Instead of solving this problem for good the Governor chose to only fund the fall semester for MAP grants."

This year the Senate passed House Bill 174, a balanced budget solution that would have allowed the state to make long-term investments in education. House Bill 174 would have saved MAP grants and revolutionized the way Illinois funds education. It would have raised the income tax, while providing $700 million in property tax relief including a variety of exemptions and deductions for working families as well as $2.5 billion that would have been dedicated to education funding annually.

"We should not be turning our backs on thousands of college students..."Even though House Bill 174 remains in the House, the General Assembly passed a budget that gave Governor Quinn $1.2 billion in discretionary funds to supplement the remainder of the state budget. Since the Governor has chosen not to use this fund for the shortfall in the Monetary Award Program, the Senate passed Senate Bill 1180. This legislation requires the Governor to use his discretionary fund for the MAP grants for spring semester.

"We should not be turning our backs on thousands of college students who rely on these MAP grants," Trotter said. "Because of Governor Quinn’s unwillingness to use his discretionary funds for MAP grants, the General Assembly had to take these necessary actions. Although Senate Bill 1180 temporarily solves this problem, our State must find new revenue like House Bill 174 to ensure our education programs are fully funded each year."