News
Thursday, February 18, 2016
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Higher ed not in update Rauner focuses on K-12 education Alexander Chettiath News Editor
DeKalb | Despite having no budget for Fiscal Year 2016, Gov. Bruce Rauner gave his annual budget address for Fiscal Year 2017 on Wednesday addressing K-12 education but not higher education. Rauner’s FY 2016 proposed budget includes reduction in funds to public entities, including NIU’s $93 million in allocations being cut to about $64 million. A lack of agreement on the proposed budget has resulted in a sevenmonth impasse. Without a finalized budget, state appropriations cannot be given. FY 2016 ends on June 30. FY 2017 begins July 1 and goes through June 30, 2017.
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The Associated Press
Gov. Bruce Rauner delivers his annual budget address to a joint session of the General Assembly in the House chambers at the Capitol Building on Wednesday in Springfield.
We must make the educaThe Turnaround Agenda was a Monetary Award Program and Other schools such as Chicago tion of our children our top multiple step plan to help Illinois human services. State University face more immepriority.” become a “growth state.” Steps inWithout appropriations, state diate concerns. Their cash posiBruce Rauner Illinois Governor
“The governor did not really present the kind of budgets that governors have in the past, it didn’t go line by line, and I think that is appropriate because when he did that last time everything imploded,” said Rep. Bob Pritchard (R-Hinckley). Although Rauner did not go into specifics for FY 2017, he emphasized the importance of his Turnaround Agenda.
cluded passing a phased-in minimum wage increase of 25 cents every year for seven years, according to the official website for the state of Illinois. “If our state’s economy had grown at just the national average over the last 15 years, we would have generated $19 billion in additional revenue,” Rauner said. Pritchard said Rauner has made some private comments of hoping to pass a budget for FY 2016 that will address higher education, the
funded universities have concerns for their future, but NIU expects to continue through the summer and fall 2016 semesters due to cash in reserves, said Alan Phillips, vice president of Administration and Finance, at a Town Hall meeting Tuesday. NIU receives approximately 26 percent of their budget from state appropriations and has credited $20 million in MAP grants for 5,700 students for the fall 2015 and spring 2016 semesters. MAP grants are state funded.
tion starts to get difficult as early as March at which the university’s future become uncertain. “We must make the education of our children our top priority.” Rauner said. “The one thing I won’t back down on, the one thing that’s non-negotiable for me, is increasing education funding.” Rauner said no matter how the session unfolded he would immediately sign a standalone appropriations bill for early childhood education and K-12 schools.
DeKalb looks to better FOIA process after 600 percent increase in 9 years Scott Nicol Staff writer
DeKalb | DeKalb is seeking out more efficient ways to process Freedom of Information Act requests after seeing a more than 600 percent increase in requests from 2006 to 2015. The Freedom of Information Act, public policy of the state of Illinois, states that all persons are entitled to full and complete information regarding government affairs. In 2006, DeKalb saw 48 requests and in 2015 there were 294, said DeKalb FOIA Officer Jared Heyn.
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My concern, being a council person, is how to handle the increased cost, not the increased number of [FOIA requests] ... 922 hours, that is a [part-time] position.” Bob Snow Fourth ward Alderman
To increase efficiency, DeKalb created templates for responses and time logs so they can quickly put information in and tailor it to specific requests. DeKalb also put FOIA forms directly on their website in November, Heyn said. Another way of increasing efficiency was by linking software to emails, Heyn said.
Scott Nicol | Northern Star
DeKalb FOIA Officer Jared Heyn gives a presentation on the increase in FOIA requests the city of DeKalb has seen since 2006 at a Feb. 8 City Council meeting. DeKalb saw 48 requests in 2006 and 294 requests in 2015.
“[DeKalb] purchased a license for a program augmented to [Adobe Systems Incorporated] that allows us to keep the attachments with the emails,” Heyn said. “In three uses it’s already saved five hours of staff time. What would normally take me 10 hours, now only takes me five.” There are two types of FOIA requests — commercial and noncommercial. Commercial requests are used for trade or profit interest, which include furthering those interests through litigations.
Noncommercial requests are sought to further research. Heyn said he handles all noncommercial FOIA requests, which consisted of 52 percent of the 294 total FOIA requests in 2015. The process of completing the requests took an estimated total of 922 hours, about 18 hours a week, for department staff. “Obviously we need to respond to these requests,” said forth ward Alderman Bob Snow at a Feb. 8 City Council meeting. “My concern, being a council person, is how to handle
the increased cost, not the increased number of [FOIA requests] ... 922 hours, that is a [part-time] position.” The process behind FOIA requests begins with Heyn receiving a FOIA request from a citizen, then distributing the request to one of the different department FOIA representatives. The FOIA representatives in the department coordinate with staff within the department to compile the information requested, then the department representative sends the information back to Heyn for review. The response time for non-commercial requests is within five business days, but the department may ask for an additional five days as long as the requestor is informed. The response time for commercial requests is within 21 business days. Heyn said he expects more than 480 FOIA requests to be submitted in 2016 based on submissions already received and the incremental increase from year to year. Increasing efficiency is crucial for getting the requestors information back in a timely fashion, Heyn said. “We are continuing to look for programs out there, [document management] systems and software, that will help us not only track our documents, but track our FOIA requests,” Heyn said. “It will keep everything nice, neat and orderly, and make things much more efficient.”
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In Brief
Heating program accepting apps Northern Star staff
DeKalb | The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program is accepting applications for winter heating assistance for those who have not applied or have received a benefit since October. The program is administered in Kane and DeKalb counties by Community Contacts, Inc. which seeks to provide utility bill assistance, weatherization and housing rehabilitation for eligible households, according to the Community Contacts, Inc. website. Eligibility is based on the household’s combined income: • For a household of one, the gross income for the last 30 days cannot exceed $1,471. • For a household of two, the gross income for the last 30 days cannot exceed $1,991. • For a household of three, the gross income for the last 30 days cannot exceed $2,511. • For a household of four, the gross income for the last 30 days cannot exceed $3,031. • For a household of five, the gross income for the last 30 days cannot exceed $3,551, according to a Monday news release. Call 847-697-4400 or 815758-3835 for more information.
Musicians wanted for scholarship Northern Star staff
DeKalb | Applications for the DeKalb County Foundation’s Palmer Family Music Education scholarship are due 5 p.m. April 1. The scholarship is for any graduating high school student who wishes to pursue a career in music education, according to a DeKalb County Foundation news release. Applicants will be chosen based on their musical background and there will be multiple winners selected from various high schools throughout DeKalb County, according to the news release. The scholarship is named for Dee Palmer, former DeKalb County Municipal Band director Palmer died in 2011 and served as the director starting in 1948.
Health care to be provided for vets Northern Star staff
DeKalb | A Veteran’s Mobile Medical Unit will be at NIU 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. March 14 in the MLK Commons to provide health care and social work to military veterans in the area, according to an NIU Veterans Association news release. Along with health care and social work services, enrollment specialists will be available to help inform veterans about benefits and services and to help enroll veterans with VA healthcare through Hines VA Hospital, 5000 S. Fifth Ave. in Hines. Recently discharged veterans have five years of free healthcare available through the Veterans Association, according to the news release.