SPRINGFIELD – Following the passing of former state Senator and Carlinville mayor Deanna Demuzio, State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) released the following statement:

“I met Deanna Demuzio on a hot summer evening in 1995 at the Macoupin County Fair.  I was in college—her husband Vince took a liking to me and invited me to the fair with him to watch the queen pageant.  I was nervous that night driving to Carlinville from Bunker Hill. This was way out of my comfort zone, and I didn’t know the Demuzios, and they really didn’t know me.  Vince was late getting to the fair, so I found myself roaming aimlessly around the entrance to the grandstand—the only person wearing a pair of khakis and a polo shirt in the blazing heat.  That must have made me stick out like a sore thumb. Debating in my head how long I should stick around, a woman walked up to me as if she was on a mission. Armed with a smile, she said in the most pleasant of voices, ‘You must be Andy. I’ve heard so much about you.’ She handed me my ticket and said ‘follow me.’

SPRINGFIELD – To discuss further steps to assist survivors of child abuse in the Springfield area and throughout downstate, State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) met with Sangamon County Children’s Advocacy Center employees and Children’s Advocacy Centers of Illinois advocates Thursday.

During last spring’s budget negotiations, Manar, who chairs the Senate Appropriations II Committee, fought to ensure that Children’s Advocacy Centers received the funding they need to continue providing crucial treatment services.

STAUNTON – State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) was joined by Governor JB Pritzker at Madison Communications in Staunton to announce $50 million in funding through the Connect Illinois broadband expansion program’s second round today.

“Lack of reliable access to quality internet service affects every facet of life in Downstate Illinois, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only widened the existing gap between us and the rest of the state,” Manar said. “We continue to prioritize broadband expansion in the state budget, because it is the starting point for effective remote learning, dependable telehealth care services, and growing small businesses to revitalize the downstate economy. I want to thank Governor Pritzker for his steadfast partnership in continuing to push this important issue in Springfield."

DECATUR – Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton and State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) demonstrated their commitment to the success of the City of Decatur by taking an afternoon tour of several local businesses and social service centers yesterday.

Manar, who serves as the Chair of the Senate Appropriations II Committee and a lead budget negotiator for the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus, emphasized the importance of providing support to communities that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.

“Throughout the day, we saw firsthand the value provided to Decatur by the vibrant local business and social service communities, but we also saw the immense difficulty COVID-19 has caused them,” Manar said. “I’m thankful for the partnership of Lt. Gov. Stratton, who understands the need for long-term, equitable solutions in our communities.”

BUNKER HILL – Following a meeting with local officials and Vistra’s announcement that the Kincaid Power Plant would be shuttered within a decade, State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) issued the following statement:

“For decades, the Kincaid plant has been a source of good paying union jobs, paving a path to economic security for countless families in the area. While the effects of the closure won’t be felt immediately, my colleagues and I are working diligently on a plan that will mitigate damage done to working families and the local economies of the places these plants call home.

“Under a proposal I’m sponsoring, property tax assessments on coal, gas, and nuclear plants would be frozen at pre-closure rates for five years, so that schools, local governments, and individual taxpayers in towns like Coffeen and Kincaid aren’t stuck with the bill for looming revenue shortfalls befalling their communities.

“While maintaining a stable revenue base is a short-term fix, it’s necessary to maintaining the economic viability of our communities. Ultimately, the state’s commitment to reinvesting resources in Downstate communities rocked by plant closures has been woefully inadequate for far too long. This commitment needs to be taken seriously, and that means substantially increasing this reinvestment. It’s on all of us to continue supporting the good paying union jobs that will be lost as a result of these closures. By transitioning the already existing plants into sustainable centers for clean energy production and storage, we can do just that, securing the economic stability of Downstate Illinois going forward.”

MACON –State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) met with Meridian High School administrators and advocates Thursday to discuss a proposed state-of-the-art agricultural education facility for the district. 

Manar, who sits on both the Senate Agriculture and Education Committees, has long advocated to increase opportunities for students wishing to explore careers in agriculture. 

“A healthy agriculture industry is essential to the economic wellbeing of Downstate, and we need to invest in the future leaders of this industry,” Manar said. “Facilities like the agricultural education center at Meridian High School will allow for the adequate training of the next generation of farmers, cementing our status as an agricultural standard bearer for decades to come.”

Upon completion, the 4,800 square-foot classroom, shop, and greenhouse would build upon an already firm foundation in Meridian Community Unit School District by providing the capacity for technologically based agricultural education. The space would allow students to learn agriculture mechanics, agriculture welding, and veterinary practices for livestock.

“I’d like to thank former Senator Duane Noland for bringing this project to my attention and shining a light on the efforts of Superintendent Andy Pygott, Mr. Jerry Brockett, and members of the Meridian Ag Foundation, who are providing the steady leadership a project like this one requires,” Manar said.

BUNKER HILL – Local schools are set to receive nearly $2 million in grants to improve students’ access to remote learning technology, State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) announced Wednesday.

“Many school districts have employed a remote or hybrid learning model to protect staff and students during the pandemic,” Manar said. “These funds can help provide every child with the resources they need to stay engaged in their education during this difficult time.”

Digital Equity Formula Grants, funded by the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, are intended to help schools bridge the digital divide and offer students more reliable access to the technology they need to participate in e-learning. School districts can use the funds to expand connectivity and provide students with devices like computers or tablets.

More than $80 million was awarded to 471 districts across the state, including 16 school districts in the 48^th State Senate District:

• Taylorville CUSD 3 - $159,778
• Pana CUSD 8 - $98,372
• South Fork SD 14 - $45,472
• Hillsboro CUSD 3 - $116,404
• Litchfield CUSD 12 - $102,887
• Nokomis CUSD 22 - $61,450
• Macon-Piatt Regional Office of Education #39 - $66,840
• Decatur SD 61 - $496,087
• Regional Office of Education #40 - $32,269
• Carlinville CUSD 1 - $106,182
• Mount Olive CUSD 5 - $53,839
• Staunton CUSD 6 - $98,300
• Gillespie CUSD 7 - $96,810
• Bunker Hill CUSD 8 - $61,134
• Southwestern CUSD 9 - $104,973
• North Mac CUSD 34 - $97,941

Funding was distributed using a need-based formula. The full list of schools receiving funds is available on the Illinois State Board of Education’s website.

State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) joined the governor and the state public health director to commemorate the state exceeding 5 million COVID-19 tests since the beginning of the pandemic.

“I was with the governor and Dr. Ezike when he signed legislation that the General Assembly had adopted to cap out-of-pocket insulin costs. That was the day of the first confirmed COVID-19 case in Illinois,” Manar said. “The state has gone from zero to now 50,000 tests. To be able to cross the thresholds that we have crossed as a state despite the challenges is because of the leadership of the governor, Dr. Ezike at the Illinois Department of Public Health, and everybody working together including the National Guard, the 97 local public health departments and our private health care partners throughout the state.”