SR0649

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SENATE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The University of Illinois Extension is the 
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flagship outreach effort of the University of Illinois at 
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Urbana-Champaign, offering educational programs to residents 
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of all of this State's 102 counties; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Through learning partnerships, the U of I 
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Extension's programs are aimed at making life better, 
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healthier, safer, and more profitable for individuals and their 
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communities; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The U of I Extension offers educational programs 
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in 5 specific areas, including a healthy society, food security 
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and safety, environmental stewardship, sustainable and 
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profitable food production and marketing systems, and efforts 
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that enhance the State's youth, families, and communities; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Most U of I Extension programs are offered on an 
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informal, non-credit basis; some Extension programs do offer 
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continuing education credits in certain fields of study; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Extension programs may be offered as hands-on 
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workshops, field days, or self-paced tutorials via the Internet 
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or offered in formats made appropriate for the audience and 
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subject matter; and

 
 


 






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    WHEREAS, More than 2.5 million Illinois residents take part 
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in Extension programs each year; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Nearly 300,000 of the State's youth participate in 
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4-H  programs; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Each month, the U of I Extension web pages draw 
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more than 10 million "hits"; and

 
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    WHEREAS, People in more than 200 countries access 
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information provided by the U of I Extension, via the Internet; 
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and

 
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    WHEREAS, Communities are served directly by Extension 
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staff in 77 regional-based offices located throughout this 
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State; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Extension educators located in 12 centers across 
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this State and specialists located on the U of I campus develop 
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and deliver in-depth programming locally, in regional venues, 
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and through distance-learning technologies; and

 
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    WHEREAS, As part of the nationwide Cooperative Extension 
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System, the U of I Extension is able to draw on research-based 
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expertise from land-grant universities all across the country; 
 


 






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and

 
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    WHEREAS, The U of I Extension is based in the College of 
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Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at 
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the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Some U of I Extension programs are offered in 
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conjunction with the College of Applied Life Studies for the 
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College of Veterinary Medicine; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The Fiscal Year 2008 Budget appropriated 
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approximately $17.8 million for U of I Extension programs; and

 
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    WHEREAS, As of April 1, 2008, not a single dollar of the 
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$17.8 million appropriated has been released to the U of I 
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Extension; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The U of I Extension cannot retain staff or 
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maintain its programs without funds that are appropriated by 
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the General Assembly and approved by the Governor of the State 
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of Illinois; therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE  SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL 
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ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Governor to 
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immediately release the entire $17.8 million that was 
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appropriated to the University of Illinois Extension in the 
 


 






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Fiscal Year 2008 Budget passed by the General Assembly and 
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signed into law by the Governor; and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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delivered to the Governor.