Illinois Quick Hits: Higher ed board pushes for more spending

Illinois Quick Hits: Higher ed board pushes for more spending

Spread the love

(The Center Square) – The Illinois Board of Higher Education has approved a 4.5% spending increase in its budget for fiscal year 2027.

The increase of $121.5 million includes an additional $50 million for the Monetary Award Program, bringing the total MAP appropriation to $771.6 million.

IBHE says the budget also includes an additional $38.8 million in operating funding for public universities “to continue closing equity gaps in access, persistence and completion.”

ESPINOZA MARTINEZ NOT GUILTY

A federal jury in Chicago has found a man not guilty of placing a $10,000 bounty on U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino.

Juan Espinoza Martinez, 37, was charged last fall with soliciting the murder of a senior law enforcement official.

SUBURBAN POLICE CORRUPTION CONVICTION

A former police officer in the Chicago suburb of Phoenix has been convicted of federal corruption charges for conspiring to steal cash and drugs from vehicle occupants during traffic stops from 2020 to 2022.

Prosecutors say Antoine Larry, 49, of Bolingbrook conspired with another officer to solicit cash and drugs during traffic stops in exchange for reducing, dropping, or declining to press charges or allowing the vehicles to avoid impoundment.

The other officer, Jarrett Snowden of Lansing, pleaded guilty to a conspiracy trial and is awaiting sentencing.

Leave a Comment





Latest News Stories

Illinois quick hits: State EPA looks to fund EV charging stations; Tax Foundation says mayor's proposal would hinder employment;

Illinois quick hits: State EPA looks to fund EV charging stations; Tax Foundation says mayor’s proposal would hinder employment;

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square State EPA looks to fund EV charging stations The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced an Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging...
Screenshot 2025-11-06 at 4.17.15 PM

Federal Lobbyists Brief Will County on Government Shutdown, Warn of SNAP and TSA Disruptions

Meeting Summary and Briefs: Will County Legislative Committee for November 4, 2025 Article Summary: Will County’s federal lobbyists reported that the ongoing government shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history, is...
Screenshot 2025-11-05 at 3.38.44 PM

Frankfort Board Approves Final Plats for Crystal Brook and Copper Creek Subdivisions

Frankfort Village Board Meeting | November 3, 2025 Article Summary: The Frankfort Village Board approved final plats for two major residential developments on Monday, November 3, 2025, advancing plans for...
Will County Logo Graphic

Commission Approves Mokena-Area Garage Variance Over Village’s Objection

Will County Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting | November 4, 2025 Article Summary: The Will County Planning and Zoning Commission approved a variance for a new garage in unincorporated Frankfort Township...
Screenshot 2025-11-05 at 4.02.49 PM

Will County Committee Advances Gougar Road Bridge Project with Over $540,000 in Agreements

Will County Public Works & Transportation Committee Meeting | November 2025 Article Summary: The Will County Board approved two key agreements for the Gougar Road bridge project in New Lenox,...
Joliet-Junior-college.-Graphic-Logo.4

JJC Receives Surprise $1.9 Million from IRS Employee Retention Credit

Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees Meeting | October 15, 2025 Article SummaryJoliet Junior College has received an unexpected $1.9 million windfall from the federal Employee Retention Credit (ERC), a...
Joliet-Junior-college.-Graphic-Logo.2

JJC Advances ERP Modernization with New Vendor and Two-Year Budget

Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees Meeting | October 15, 2025 Article SummaryJoliet Junior College is entering the next phase of its Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system overhaul, with the...
frankfort-square-park-district.1

Park District Reviews Emergency Response After Frankfort Square Shelter-in-Place

Frankfort Square Park District Meeting | September 2025 Article Summary: Following a law enforcement incident that prompted a shelter-in-place order in Frankfort Square, the park district reviewed its emergency protocols...
Screenshot 2025-11-06 at 4.17.02 PM

Will County Committee Shapes 2026 Legislative Agendas on Housing, Energy, and Health

Meeting Summary and Briefs: Will County Legislative Committee for November 4, 2025 Article Summary: The Will County Legislative Committee advanced key priorities for its 2026 state and federal legislative agendas, focusing...
solar panels photovoltaics in solar farm

Frankfort Library Board Moves to Explore Community Solar Power

Frankfort Public Library District Meeting | September 2025 Article Summary: The Frankfort Public Library District is exploring renewable energy options after the Board of Trustees authorized a consultant to seek...
Congressional Perks: Committees, caucuses cost $50 million since 2019

Congressional Perks: Committees, caucuses cost $50 million since 2019

By Arthur KaneThe Center Square Since 2019, partisan and special interest caucuses and coalitions in the U.S. House spent at least $50 million for staff, food, travel and other expenses,...
Joliet-Junior-college.-Graphic-Logo.4

JJC Authorizes Land Buy for Grundy County Expansion, Secures Site in Morris

Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees Meeting | October 15, 2025 Article SummaryThe Joliet Junior College (JJC) Board of Trustees has authorized negotiations for a land acquisition to build a...
FAA funding problems hit airports in California, elsewhere

FAA funding problems hit airports in California, elsewhere

By Madeline ShannonThe Center Square As Christine Finch helped her father, Graham Finch, gather his luggage at the San Francisco International Airport, she was worried about how flight delays caused...
Judge bars ICE from acting against ‘protestors,’ ‘rapid response’ activists

Judge bars ICE from acting against ‘protestors,’ ‘rapid response’ activists

By Jonathan Bilyk | Legal NewslineThe Center Square A Chicago federal judge has barred federal agents from U.S. Border Patrol and ICE from conducting crowd control actions anywhere in northern...
Report: IL public schools show low academic proficiency, higher taxpayer funding

Report: IL public schools show low academic proficiency, higher taxpayer funding

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The CEnter Square) – The latest education statistics indicate stagnant proficiency for public school students in Illinois, despite dramatic increases in...