Ammons Launches Petition Drive to Protect Services for University of Illinois Students

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – State Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana, launched a petition drive this week urging Gov. Bruce Rauner and members of the General Assembly to restore funding for programs and services vital to higher education, like Monetary Award Program (MAP) Grants and Amtrak transportation.

“Our public universities and colleges are vital to the prosperity of our community and state, as they support our economy, employ our neighbors and keep our most talented minds living in Illinois,” Ammons said. “When the governor rejected a budget that provided funding for the vital services college students rely on, he put the careers of thousands of students at risk.”

In response to these drastic efforts to block funding for the programs that University of Illinois and Parkland Community College students depend on, Ammons has launched a community-wide petition drive. Ammons hopes her drive will place pressure on the governor to restore funding for the services that allow students to access world-class institutions of learning.

Earlier this year, Rauner proposed to cut funding for public universities by over 30 percent, which would mean a $209 million cut to the University of Illinois. Last week, Ammons supported legislation to restore funding to MAP and Higher Education, which the governor pledged to block.

“This petition drive will help send a message to the governor and the legislators he controls that there are real human lives being affected by their political games,” Ammons said. “Tuition rates are already at an all-time high and students simply cannot afford to take on more student loan debt that will follow them throughout life.”

Petitions are now available for circulation on campus and throughout the community. Residents can sign Ammons’ petition online by visiting bit.ly/ammons-petition or by calling her full-time constituent service office at 217-531-1660.