SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield) is highlighting an opportunity for area airports to apply for funding for improvement projects through the Rebuild Illinois statewide construction program.

“The Illinois aviation system is one of the largest in the nation,” Turner said. “The new funding will allow airports in Central Illinois and across the state to pay for much-needed repairs that will keep passengers safe and our economy strong. It is my hope that local airports take advantage of this opportunity and apply for funding.”

Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Transportation announced that the Rebuild Illinois program will provide $94 million in funding to improve public airports throughout the state. Through a competitive grant process, airports may submit project proposals for updates, improvements, and extensions of their facilities.

Airports must be for public use and included in the Illinois Aviation System Plan to be eligible for the funding. Applications are due June 14 to be eligible for grants of up to $25 million.

Airports in the Central Illinois area eligible to apply for the funding include the Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport, Decatur Airport, Litchfield Municipal Airport and Taylorville Municipal Airport.

Application information is available by visiting IDOT’s Airport Improvement Program page. Awards are anticipated to be announced later this year.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield) recently honored 144 Central Illinois high school students who were named 2021-22 Illinois State Scholars by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.

Illinois State Scholar winners rank in approximately the top 10% of the state’s high school seniors from 676 high schools in all 102 counties. Selection is based on a combination of standardized test scores and class rank or unweighted GPA at the end of the student’s junior year. ISAC works in conjunction with the students’ high school guidance counselors to determine the winners.

“This spectacular achievement is a result of hard work and dedication,” said Turner. “I am especially proud of these students’ efforts to persevere while in the middle of a devastating pandemic. Despite the fear and uncertainty this infectious disease has brought on, these students have maintained an esteemed level of academic excellence and I am so proud of each and every one of them.”

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.