SPRINGFIELD, IL – After busting through a midnight deadline on June 30 to resolve the state’s fiscal situation, State Sen. Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg) remains watchfully positive that progress is being made on a FY 2018 budget.
After 11 days of special session, the Senator, who was at the State Capitol for every day of session, felt that some pieces were starting to come together as the Illinois House of Representatives held a vote on a budget bill that received bipartisan support, and negotiations continued between both legislative leaders and rank-and-file lawmakers.
Senator Fowler remains committed to staying at the Capitol until the job is done.
Fowler meets with area superintendents
On the eve of the Senate’s return to the Capitol, Senator Fowler met with 22 Southern Illinois school superintendents to discuss their current fiscal conditions. It was immediately clear that the state’s ongoing budget impasse had taken its toll on schools in the district, as an overwhelming majority of schools have less than four months of operating budgets. A handful of schools expressed extreme concerns about their ability to open for the first day of school in August.
Marion Senior Fair
Despite not being able to attend their own senior fair due to session obligations, Senator Fowler and Representative Dave Severin hosted a successful event on June 27. The inaugural senior fair was held at Marion’s HUB Recreation Center and played host more than 20 vendors from the region. Approximately, 150 senior citizens were able to take advantage of a host of free services provided by the vendors in attendance.