SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Doris Turner’s (D-Springfield) effort to make agricultural sciences courses count toward Illinois university admissions requirements passed the Senate unanimously last week.

“The goal here is to highlight the importance of agricultural studies,” said Turner. “Our current curricula did not reflect that by excluding it from courses that count toward the three required years of sciences, and may have deterred some students from pursuing those studies.”

Currently, the minimum requirements to gain admission to state universities include the completion of at least 15 units of high school coursework in the following subjects: English, Social studies, Mathematics, (Laboratory) Sciences and electives in either foreign language, music, vocational education, or art.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield) passed her first piece of legislation out of the Illinois State Senate Thursday, April 22, in an effort to allow Capital Township residents the right to vote for their own officials.

“This legislation speaks solely to representation,” said Sen. Turner. “This bill addresses an electorate’s right to choose their own representatives. Under state law, the current Sangamon County Clerk and Treasurer are automatically officers of Capital Township, and that’s not fair. That is akin to the voters of Naperville voting for the officers of Cook County. This bill would allow that only the voters of Capital Township elect Capital Township officers.” 

SPRINGFIELD – Today, State Senator Doris Turner (D- Springfield) congratulated Young Leaders in Action (YLIA), a Macon County youth service and leadership group, for winning the first Illinois Governor's Cup Award.

“This is a major win not only for the students involved in YLIA but for the entire community,” said Turner. “This award recognizes all of our students' hard work and dedication and I couldn’t be happier about the governor selecting them for this great achievement.” 

The Governor’s Cup is the top honor given in a field of 24 community projects in the state. YLIA accepted the award from Gov. Pritzker in a virtual ceremony held Tuesday.

SPRINGFIELD – Designs set to begin on the reconstruction of the long-in-disuse State Armory Building at Monroe and 2nd Street in Springfield, State Senator Doris Turner said the eventual return of the facility could be transformative for the capital.

“My hometown is full of historic moments, and I believe the speech Martin Luther King, Jr. gave at the Armory during the AFL-CIO convention in 1965 is one that definitely deserves this recognition,” said Turner. “This facility is not just a part of history, but also holds tremendous potential for the future of downtown Springfield, and I eagerly await its future reuse.”

Late last month, Senator Robert Peters and Turner introduced a Senate Resolution to commemorate King’s 1965 speech, in which he spoke about justice, democracy, and  organizational progress at the AFL-CIO convention Senate Joint Resolution 3 seeks to capture the essence of the building's impressive history by placing a bronze plaque at the renovated facility with words from Dr. King’s speech.

On Tuesday, the Illinois Capital Development Board (CDB) announced its selection of Tilton, Kelly + Bell, as the preferred architectural design firm for the renovation of the State Armory Building in Springfield. CDB will oversee the $122 million project’s design and construction. The administration has already released $12.2 million to begin the design and stabilization of the building which has sat abandoned since 2008.

The first phase of reconstructing the Illinois State Armory will include inspections and assessing its existing condition.

SJR 3 passed the Senate 53-0.

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) announced Monday that $7 million in local infrastructure funding will be distributed to local governments as part of the Rebuild Illinois program, and State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield) is pleased to announce that Montgomery and Macoupin counties will receive a portion of those funds.

“Truck drivers have so much to consider like truck size, weight and type of cargo they are carrying,” said Turner. “It’s important to recognize not all vehicles are able to travel the same routes to get to their destination safely and on time. Creating a designated truck route in these communities will help manage traffic and provide an overall safer driving experience for everyone.”

This grant is made possible through IDOT’s Truck Access Route Program, which allows counties, municipalities and townships to apply for assistance in upgrading roads to accommodate 80,000-pound trucks and become designated truck routes. IDOT will be providing funding to Litchfield and Carlinville:

• Old Route 66 (located at Illinois 16 County Road 170 E) $76,500
• Shipman Road (located at Shipman Road Illinois 108 Loveless Parkway) $94,000

“This funding will also boost jobs, which we so desperately need right now,” Turner said. “I am proud of the work being done to ensure our community has the necessary resources to grow while improving road safety for residents.”

A complete list of projects can be viewed here.

SPRINGFIELD – Youth Career Pathways, a new program led by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, recently awarded Southwestern High School grant dollars to expand access to training and support services for youth ages 16-24.

“This is a great opportunity for students, and something that will ensure lasting positive effects right here in Central Illinois,” said State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield). “We must commit to diversifying our strategies in programming, school curriculum and instruction, especially for at-risk students. We can eliminate these unfortunate risk factors that threaten students’ academic progress if we create more stimulating learning environments.”

This year, through the expanded program, the state will prioritize youth in disproportionately impacted areas and who are at risk for dropping out and falling behind on career preparedness. This includes youth who reside in minority and rural communities.

Grant money will assist workforce providers across Illinois in increasing training that helps youths obtain marketable skills that prepare them for their future careers.

Applicants eligible for the program include community colleges, community-based organizations, workforce agencies, school districts and other entities with a demonstrated plan to serve the target populations with postsecondary training and credentialing.

SPRINGFIELD – The Decatur Park District has been selected to receive $57,500 in state dollars through the Illinois Bicycle Path Grant Program, State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield) announced Friday.

“This is a great investment for the city of Decatur, especially as we head into the warmer months of the year,” Turner said. “This grant creates an opportunity for safe activities for families and outdoor enthusiasts. It also opens up a new form of transportation for residents, which is a major plus for cyclist.”

The Park District will use the grant funding to acquire 31.7 acres of land located in the northwest portion of Decatur. The land will allow for access to the current 10-foot-wide asphalt bike trail, which is 9.8 miles long with an additional 1.5 miles under development. The added land will help complete the final 2 miles of the Stevens Creek Bikeway.

The Illinois Bicycle Path Grant Program, which is administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, has helped develop nearly 1,000 miles of local government bike trails in Illinois. This year, the program will fund seven bike path projects across the state totaling more than $800,000.

Learn more about the program, eligible projects and the application process here.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Doris Turner’s (D-Springfield) plan to add agricultural sciences as a type of course that may be counted towards the requirement for three years of sciences in order to gain admission to an Illinois public university passed the Senate Higher Education Committee Tuesday.

“The study of agriculture is vitally important, and our curricula should reflect that,” said Senator Turner. “The current exclusion as an option for a science course for admission is a huge disservice to students who plan to one day study and/or work in the field.”