The Friday Memo

              February 13, 2009 96th General Assembly gets organized
The four committees with major responsibility for higher education matters have been organized, members selected, chairs named, and two hearings were held this week. The House Higher Education Committee had its organizing meeting on Tuesday, February 10, chaired by Rep. Mike Boland. Rep. Naomi Jakobsson is vice-chairman and Rep. Robert Pritchard is the minority spokesperson.
The following day, House Appropriations-Higher Eucation Committee held its first meeting, convened by Chairwoman Cynthia Soto, along with Vice-Chairman, Rep. Kevin Joyce, and Minority Spokesperson, Rep. Richard Myers. In the Senate, Sen. Edward Maloney returns to the chair of the Higher Education Committee, with Sen. Michael Frerichs as vice-chairman, and Minority Spokesman Sen. Bradley Burzynski. The Senate committee’s first meeting is scheduled for February 18th. Appropriations II oversees higher education funding, and is being chaired by Sen. John Sullivan, with vice-chairman, Sen. Jeffrey Schoenberg, and Minority Spokesperson, Sen. Pamela Althoff.
Major Public Agenda legislation introduced Legislation to initiate a college-readiness program and to set standards for dual-credit high school-college partnerships – issues highlighted in the Public Agenda for College and Career Success – has been introduced in the General Assembly.
Companion bills have been proposed by Rep. David Miller (HB 150) and Sen. Edward Maloney (SB 37) to create the 21st Century Scholars Program, UPCOMING
February
18 Senate Higher Education Committee
19 House Higher Education Committee 19 Joint Hearing, Senate Appropriations I & II 20 Faculty Advisory Council, Northwestern University 24 AeA 21st Learning Environment Symposium, Illinois State Museum, Springfield March 18 Legislative Reception of the Higher Education Legislative Coalition, Illinois State Museum, Springfield
House Higher Education Committee meeting on Feb.10