SPRINGFIELD - Lt. Governor Sheila Simon will testify before the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee on Wednesday, presenting legislation created from her Classrooms First Commission.

Simon, the state's point person on education reform, served as the chairperson of the bipartisan Classrooms First Commission, which examined ways school districts could reduce duplicative spending and improve educational offerings. Based on the Commission's findings, legislation being presented on Wednesday would allow non-contiguous school districts to consolidate and small schools to dissolve without referenda.

"We want Illinois to lead the nation in education performance, not bureaucracy," said Simon. "This legislation will make it easier for school districts to put their students first by dedicating resources to expanding classroom opportunities."

Later Wednesday, Simon will address more than 100 representatives from Illinois' Main Street communities. This year marks the 20th year of Illinois Main Street, a program dedicated to revitalizing local economies through investment and job creation. Simon is the state ambassador for Main Street.

Committee Testimony

DATE: Wednesday, March 13
?TIME: 8:30 a.m.
PLACE: Room D-1, Stratton Building, Springfield

Illinois Main Street Rally

DATE: Wednesday, March 13
?TIME: 11:30 a.m.
PLACE: Capitol Rotunda, Springfield

SPRINGFIELD - March 5, 2013. Lt. Governor Sheila Simon issued this statement today on the death of her mentor, former state Comptroller Dawn Clark Netsch. Netsch was the first woman to win the Democratic nomination for governor.

"Dawn Clark Netsch was a hero of mine since the early 1980s and a friend and mentor ever since," Simon said. "We served on the board of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform together and collaborated on reform issues for many years. She was straight forward, a straight shooter and great at explaining state issues. She was not just a public servant, but a teacher. She will be missed."

SPRINGFIELD - February 28, 2013. With the Governor's budget address set for next week, Lt. Governor Sheila Simon announced today that she is voluntarily requesting a 3 percent cut in her fiscal year 2014 budget. Simon, who voluntarily cut the current fiscal year's budget request by 9 percent, will achieve savings by reducing personnel and administrative costs.

"Illinoisans are doing more with less, and state leaders need to do the same," Simon said. "Over the past two years, I've cut my own pay and reduced the office budget by more than $250,000. We can all do our part to preserve funding for vital services such as education and public safety."

For the second consecutive year, Simon is reducing her office's headcount to achieve savings. She will continue to return one day of pay per month to the state and require her senior staff members to take four furlough days within the year. She is also eliminating her grant-making authority, which will save taxpayers up to $50,000 a year and brings her total cut to 5 percent in fiscal year 2014. 

Simon's office will continue to purchase equipment through Central Management Services (CMS) master contracts, which offer discounted prices on office supplies. Though constitutional offices are not required to follow CMS master contracts, Simon instituted the policy after her inauguration in 2011 to save taxpayer dollars. Printing and equipment expenses are also being reduced.

Despite cutting her office budget by 12 percent since fiscal year 2012, Simon continues to be a state leader in education and ethics reform. She recently released a report on game changing practices that will make college more affordable for students, and helped draft legislation that would create the strongest financial disclosure law for public servants in 40 years. Simon also chairs the Governor's Rural Affairs Council, key river and military base committees and advocates for domestic and sexual violence prevention. 

Lt. Governor Simon submitted the reduced fiscal year 2014 spending plan to Governor Pat Quinn in advance of his March 6 budget address. Simon is making the lowest appropriation request for the Office of the Lt. Governor since at least 1992.

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SPRINGFIELD - Lt. Governor Sheila Simon will testify at a joint hearing of the Senate and House Higher Education Committees on Wednesday, presenting her findings on affordability at the state's public higher education institutions.

Simon, the state's point person on education reform, recently released "Game Changers," a culminating report on her Affordability Summits at Illinois' 12 public universities this past fall. Coupled with her first-hand experience visiting the state's community colleges, Simon will outline financial barriers to higher education access and completion, and improvements that can help make college more affordable. Among her suggestions is an income tax credit for Illinois college graduates who stay in Illinois to work.

"Higher education affordability is an overwhelming barrier to our students' achievement and our state's economic growth," Lt. Governor Simon said. "Affordable community colleges and universities prepare our students for in-demand jobs and demonstrate our commitment to fostering a highly-skilled workforce."

DATE: Wednesday, Feb. 27
?TIME: 3 p.m.
PLACE: Stratton Office Building Room D-1, Springfield

NOTE: Lt. Governor Simon will hold a brief media availability immediately following her testimony.