State Senator Scott Bennett says that the new state budget will prioritize school funding and kids, and he says the legislature addressed many concerns in the state, with the possibility of more bills to come.
Bennett hosted a town hall Wednesday evening at the Bremer Theatre, where he answered questions from residents.
One of the hotly debated topics last week was the new maps. Vermilion County will now be in the Fifth District Appellate Court instead of the Fourth District. The senator says those maps had not changed in 50 years, and the population has changed significantly over that time.
“When the bill came on the floor, it was discussed,” he explains. “It has to do with population, and the questions were ‘How big a discrepancy is there between the districts now?’ As I said, it was close to 2 million people. Under the new maps, Vermilion County and Champaign County were put in the Fifth, which is the southern-most part of the state. Now it’s fresh, down to 200,000 to 300,000 people.”
The COVID-19 pandemic heightened many problems that rural communities face regarding internet access. Bennett says he passed a bill that would provide vouchers for those seeking to purchase broadband internet. He says remote schooling was particularly difficult at one rural school district.
“The only reliable internet in the area was a tractor dealership on the edge of town, so you could look at the parking lot and see two dozen cars sitting out there, and the parents drove the kids out so they could do their school work during the day.”
Bennett commended groups such as the East Central Illinois Community Action Agency for helping residents with energy assistance this winter, including Westville. He says state grants typically run out at the end of June due to the end of the fiscal year, but he will look at expanding those options year-round. He also says the General Assembly could meet again in a special session this summer to discuss a green energy bill.
