| Dear Community,
Over the last two weeks the Illinios legislature spent five days in the Capitol for what is called "Veto Session". During this time, nearly 200 devoted parents and community members sacrificed their precious time making the trip to Springfield to advocate for saving the STC program. We engaged scores of lawmakers asking them to remove the "sunset" as the program is scheduled to end this coming year. These trips were extremely impactful and resulted in many legislators pledging to commit their support.
Grassroots advocacy is the most important component of our hishtadlus to save STC. Lawmaking is a complex process that sometimes requires multiple policies to be incorporated into larger bills. Veto Session is a short legislative session towards the end of the year intended to address bills vetoed by a governor, and is a challenging time to pass other pieces of legislation, let alone complicated ones. Legislative leaders must prioritize the most urgent items. Last night the General Assembly adjourned having only addressed a few urgent issues. There's another very short session in January known as "Lame Duck Session" when it can be easier to pass bills and unresolved issues are often dealt with at that point. The momentum and awareness we built up over the last few weeks are critical to our ongoing efforts as we head into Lame Duck. It is imperative that we remain focused between now and January 10, reminding our elected officials how vital this program is to us.
Please click here to send our legislators a message expressing the importance of "Tax Credit Scholarship Program" to you and your families. The few moments it will take you will buttress our efforts, bringing us even closer to a successful outcome.
We want to thank everyone who took the time to join us in Springfield. Your efforts went a long way and with siyata d'Shmaya, will make the difference.
Sincerely, Rabbi Shlomo Soroka Director of Government Affairs Agudath Israel of Illinois |
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