The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity has released competitive grant opportunities to support Adult and Youth Registered Apprenticeships in Illinois. Apprenticeship programs meet the skilled workforce needs of industry by connecting job seekers looking to learn new skills with employers looking for qualified workers, resulting in a workforce with industry-driven training and employers with a competitive edge.

The Department will host a workshop to review the Apprenticeship Plus model and highlight the current funding opportunities on April 4, 2017 at 10:00am at the Bilandic Building, 160 N. LaSalle St, 5th floor auditorium, Chicago.

To RSVP for the event or for more information about the grants, click here.

Earlier this month, two surveys on the Illinois Senate's budget and reform legislation package were sent out to 31st district residents. 163 people completed the short survey and 359 people completed the long one. The results of those surveys are below.

Short survey results

Long survey results

The Illinois State Senate has been acting in a bipartisan manner to find a way to end the nearly two-year budget impasse in Springfield. There are a multitude of proposals being discussed in an effort to reach a compromise. Before casting any votes, Senator Bush would like to get your opinion on some of the issues being debated. Constituents have two survey options: a brief survey and a longer, more in-depth survey.

To take a brief survey, click here.

To take an in-depth survey, click here.

I appreciate your feedback.

The bipartisan budget and reform package includes eleven separate pieces of legislation, all of which must be passed in order for any of the legislation to take effect. If ten of the bills pass and one doesn't, the entire package of legislation is dead. These eleven bills cover the following topics: local government consolidation, paying old bills, pension parity, FY17 supplemental budget, gaming, procurement reform, revenue, local government bonds, pension reform, workers compensation reform, and property tax freeze/mandate relief. You can read each bill by clicking on the links.