Speaker Welch Celebrates Proviso Students Returning to School

 

Springfield, IL – After weeks of negotiation between the Proviso Teachers Union and the District 209 board, House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch is pleased to see that Proviso students will return to the classroom next week.

"I'm thrilled to see a tentative resolution has been reached," said House Speaker Welch. "I want to thank all parties involved for assiduously working to come to an agreement that honors our commitment to quality education for all. This is a win for our students, our teachers and our community."

All classes and extra-curricular activities are set to resume on Monday and the tentative three-year agreement is expected to be voted on by Wednesday.

"We know the challenges our families and communities face right now, and we have a role to play in rebuilding," said Speaker Welch. "It is our responsibility to provide a well-resourced learning environment, reduced class sizes and a stable workforce that can develop and maintain strong relationships with our students, their parents and the community."

House Democrats vote to pay off over $4 billion in debts

On party lines, the Illinois House approved a measure to get the state's fiscal house in order and pay off over $4 billion in debt. This proposal includes:

  • $2.7 billion in the unemployment trust fund that took a serious hit during the coronavirus pandemic

  • $300 million in extra pension payments which will yield more than $1 billion in savings

  • $900 million toward the group health bill backlog likely saving taxpayers $100 million in interest payments

  • $230 million toward the College Illinois program to ensure 25 thousand families have funding for education

"This is exactly what fiscal responsibility looks like," said Speaker Welch. "It's disappointing that every Republican voted against paying off our debt, but I'm incredibly proud Democrats are united in building a strong financial future for Illinois."

 
Andrea Garcia