Wednesday Blue Room Press Conference: Ford, Ammons to Push for Fully-Funded Public Universities

CHICAGO – State Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago, and state Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana, will team up with representatives from Illinois public universities for a press conference on Wednesday, May 3 at 10 a.m. in the Capitol Blue Room. 

“Our public universities are critical to equipping our young people with the education and tools they need to be competitive in a 21st-century economy,” Ford said. “Over the course of our hearings with higher education officials, it is abundantly clear that these institutions need our full, undivided support, and during our budget negotiations, that means fully funding them.” 

Representatives from Chicago State, Governors State, Northeastern Illinois and Western Universities articulated their budget constraints and how these have affected the services and support they can provide to students. These representatives among others will join Ford and Ammons at Wednesday’s conference to share how their respective budget pressures have changed. 

“Some of these institutions are millions of dollars underwater, and that is simply unacceptable,” Ammons said. “Northeastern Illinois is operating at a $5.7 million shortfall, trying to cover the costs of essential services and supporting these bright, determined students. And they aren’t alone in requesting needed and overdue investment. These institutions have been historically underfunded, which is why we’ve taken steps to look at equitable funding for all Illinois public institutions.” 

For more information, please contact RepFord@LaShawnFord.com or Communications@StateRepCarolAmmons.com