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In Washington, D.C. … On Monday, Jan. 21, President Barack Obama was inaugurated for a second term. The president’s inaugural speech advanced a more liberal agenda, calling for action on immigration reform, climate change and clean energy technology, gay rights, as well as calling for the need to find common ground and end the bitter...
NIU D.C. intern Gary Timmins with U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley.
NIU students recognized for their work as summer interns in Washington, D.C. The Illinois State Society of Washington, D.C., has awarded scholarships to each of the four NIU students who interned this summer in the nation’s capital, with one student taking home top honors among all interns from Illinois. Gary Timmins, a graduating senior with...
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In Springfield … With only three weeks left before the scheduled May 31 adjournment of the Illinois General Assembly, there are three major issues still unresolved: the Fiscal Year 2013 budget, pension stabilization and Medicaid reform. FY2013 Budget The House Higher Education Appropriations Committee has been meeting frequently over the past several weeks to determine how...
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In Springfield … The majority of activity in both the Illinois Senate and Illinois House of Representatives last week and again this week will involve trying to move substantive bills through committees The deadline to get bills out of committee is Friday, May 4. House Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 49 (HJRCA 49), sponsored by Speaker...
Photo of a pair of scissors cutting a $1 bill
In Springfield … Last week, Gov. Pat Quinn released his plan for cutting the FY2013 Illinois Medicaid program by approximately $2.7 billion, the level of reductions he believes are needed to stabilize the Medicaid system in Illinois and prevent its collapse. There are three components to the governor’s plan: $2 billion (75 percent) reductions, a $1...
U.S. Capitol
A trio of NIU students is headed to Capitol Hill for Congressional Visit Days. The annual two-day event brings scientists, engineers, researchers, educators and technology executives to Washington, D.C., to raise visibility and support for science, engineering and technology. Congressional Visit Days are scheduled Tuesday, April 24, and Wednesday, April 25. They are coordinated annually...
NIU TRiO travelers stand outside the White House
During spring break this year, a group of NIU students in the Student Support Services program visited the nation’s capitol. They traveled with other students representing TRiO Programs throughout the state. TRiO Programs are federally funded initiatives aimed at helping students who are first-generation, low-income and/or learning or physically disabled. The students took part in...
In Springfield… The General Assembly completed its work for this calendar year last week with the passage of two pieces of legislation.  The first (Senate Bill 397) was a $330 million package of business tax breaks, primarily directed to retain the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and Sears in Illinois.  It also included the reinstatement of the...
Illinois State Capitol building in Springfield. Photo courtesy Illinois Board of Tourism.
In Springfield … The first week of the Illinois General Assembly’s fall veto session begins Tuesday, Oct. 25, and will run through Thursday, Oct. 27. It promises to be an interesting week, with many issues on the table. The House of Representatives Personnel and Pensions Committee has posted five pension reform bills for hearing –...
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In Washington, D.C. … Last week, the Senate rejected, by a vote of 50-49, President Obama’s jobs bill and the Senate Democrats are now working with the president to disassemble the $447 billion package into smaller bills that will deal with specific elements contained in the jobs bill. The Democrats will try to force the...
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In Washington, D.C. … Activities in Washington over the past week bring to mind a quote from that great sage, Yogi Berra: “It’s déjà vu all over again.” Once again, Congress found itself at a critical juncture to approve a Continuing Resolution (CR) that would allow the federal government to operate Saturday, Oct. 1, the...
NIU students are invited to apply for the university’s annual congressional internship program in Washington, D.C. The highly competitive program will provide five students with the opportunity to live, learn and work in the heart of the nation’s capital. The program runs from late May through early August 2012. Each student will intern for a...
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