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

“This investment in our local airports is long overdue,” Koehler said. “This money from the Rebuild Illinois program will allow airports in Central Illinois and across the state to pay for much-needed improvements that will keep passengers safe and our economy strong. I encourage our local airports to 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 Peoria area that are eligible to apply for the funding include General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport, Ingersoll Airport in Canton, and Pekin Municipal Airport.

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

Dear Friends,

If you’ve been following media reports about the state budget, you’ve probably heard a lot about state employee pensions.  You’re probably going to hear even more this spring.  Employee pensions are a complicated, emotional topic, so there will probably be a lot of facts, rumors, and accusations in the press.  I want to take this opportunity to explain—in detail—why you should care about employee pensions and why the issue is so complicated.

What are pensions?

Pensions are a kind of retirement fund.  Illinois has a defined benefit pension system.  When workers retire, they receive a fixed pay check—whether they live two years or twenty.  Both workers and the state pay into Illinois’ pension funds.  The workers pay a fixed percentage of their income.  The state pays the rest of the money needed to pay for the workers’ retirements.  This amount is calculated based on anticipated retirement dates, life expectancy, the state’s expected return on its investments, and a variety of other factors.

Who can collect pensions?

The people who can collect Illinois state pensions are the teachers who work in our schools, the professors at Illinois’ public universities, the Department of Transportation employees who maintain our highways, the Illinois State Police officers who protect our communities, the Department of Agriculture employees who inspect our food to make sure it’s safe, the DCFS employees who protect abandoned and abused children, and more.  For many of these people, their pension will be their only retirement income in that they don’t qualify for Social Security.