ALTON – State Senator Bill Haine (D-Alton) continued his tour of human service agencies on Wednesday by visiting Impact CIL in Alton to see how the budget impasse continues to affect human service agencies and the citizens of his district.

Impact CIL, an organization that helps the disabled, currently has a sign posted on its front door that reads, “Due to the state budget impasse our office will be closed on Fridays until further notice.” A step inside and the employees and Executive Director Cathy Contarino will give testament to just how dire the situations is.

CHICAGO – State Senator Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-Chicago 16th) is encouraging Southside parents and anyone concerned about lead found in drinking water at three 16th District elementary schools to attend meetings being held this week to discuss the problem. She also urged a speedy House vote on legislation the Senate passed last month to require lead testing in schools and improved communication with the public in the wake of the preventable drinking water disaster in Flint, Michigan.

JOLIET — Thursday’s disclosure that the number of Illinois students applying for Monetary Award Program grants to help pay for college is down 13 percent is nothing but bad news for Illinois, according to State Senator Pat McGuire (D-Joliet).

“College graduates earn more, pay more in taxes, are healthier, and are more active in civic affairs,” said McGuire, chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee. “Yet Illinois is discouraging its own high school graduates from continuing their education by failing to fund the need-based financial aid program that has helped millions of Illinois residents get ahead for almost 50 years.”

CHICAGO – The consequences of kicking 55,000 children and their families out of a state child care assistance program rest squarely on the shoulders of Gov. Bruce Rauner, Senator Daniel Biss (D-Evanston) said Wednesday.

“When it comes to decisions involving cuts to child care assistance, cuts to programs for our most vulnerable residents and abysmally low pay for home care workers, these are choices for which Bruce Rauner, and Bruce Rauner alone, is responsible,” Biss said.

“He is the appropriate person – in fact the only person – to call upon to stop the assault on the caregiving safety net in Illinois.”