DES PLAINES – State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) announced that the Illinois Department of Transportation’s five-year Highway Improvement Program includes a major project on Touhy Avenue between Illinois Route 72 and U.S. Route 14.

“Touhy Avenue is one of the busiest roads in our area and is in an awful state of disrepair,” Murphy said. “This investment will save drivers long-term on vehicle maintenance and will create good-paying construction jobs.”

The Highway Improvement Program includes just over $3 million for repairs and improvements on the 5.45 mile strip of road. The program outlines 60 projects in the Senate District Murphy represents, investing over $234 million in nearly 85 miles of road by 2025.

In total, IDOT’s statewide program will invest $23.5 billion in improving and expanding roads and bridges throughout Illinois, more than double the size of the previous year’s Multi-Year Plan. Projects outlined in the plan will cover 4,212 miles of roadway and 9.2 million square feet of bridge deck statewide between 2020 and 2025.

The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority is accepting applications for Victims of Crime Act grants to support the development or expansion of transitional housing and related costs. A total of $5 million in funding is available through this solicitation for use over a period of 12 months.

Funded programs will facilitate victims’ pursuit of safety, independence, and stable housing. Grant awards must be spent over a period of 12 months. Additional funding to extend the grant period will depend on both the availability of funds and project performance during the first 12 months. This funding opportunity will support transitional housing services for persons whose housing needs arise from or are a cause of their victimization. Persons served must be adults (and, when appropriate, their dependent children) and victims of crimes including, but not limited to, domestic violence (including intimate partner violence), human trafficking, anti-LGBTQ+ violence, and forced labor.

To apply, click here. The application deadline is December 1, 2019.

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) is accepting applications for their 2019 Sustainability Summit Awards. The two award categories are "Sustainable Landscaping" and "Biosolids Beneficial Reuse".

Applicants are eligible for the 2019 Sustainable Landscaping Award by demonstrating an innovative use of green infrastructure, capital investment and how an individual or organization promotes green landscaping to educate the community.

Applicants are eligible for the 2019 Biosolids Beneficial Reuse Award by using Exceptional Quality (EQ) Biosolids. You can learn more about EQ Biosolids here.

If you know an individual, organization and/or business that is eligible for either award you can nominate them here. The application deadline is Sunday, Sep. 15.

CHICAGO – During today’s Senate Higher Education Committee’s hearing on transitional pay for university administrators, State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) criticized the practice of administrators leaving their positions and receiving their full salary despite poor performance.

“This is a gross misuse of taxpayer dollars,” said Murphy. “We need to be good fiscal stewards of our state’s education system, and sending often-times disgraced administrators off with a fat check is utterly reckless.”

Public university administrators are able to resign from their post and receive “golden parachute” severance packages that are equal or similar to their entire salary, in many cases despite a worsening performance of the university. Many administrators are rehired by their university as professors and earn significantly more than other faculty.

The latest administrator to come under scrutiny for this practice is Western Illinois University President Jack Thomas who resigned in June 2019. Thomas is to receive his full six-figure salary and benefits for two years. Student enrollment at Western fell by over 40 percent during Thomas’ tenure as president.

Lawmakers passed the Government Severance Pay Act in 2018 to limit the amount paid in university severance packages, however, the law only applies to new contracts.

During the hearing, State Senator Murphy suggested amending the Government Severance Pay Act to apply to all university contracts and that the Illinois Attorney General look into taking preventative legal action.