The Student Association Senate will look to pass a resolution to support a letter expressing higher education’s need for state funding to Gov. Bruce Rauner and the heads of both houses of the Illinois General Assembly.

The potential losses in funding for higher education that the initiative addresses are a result of the eight-month state budget impasse, which has resulted from state lawmakers not agreeing with Rauner on a budget for Fiscal Year 2016. Until a budget is passed, state budget appropriations cannot be dispersed, including funding for higher education.

Timothy Brandner, SA Senate sergeant at arms, has composed this letter in hopes that multiple Illinois higher education institutions will sign it before it is sent to state government officials.

“Obviously, we want as many schools to support [the letter] as possible, and part of that is having an official NIU support,” Brandner said.

Brandner plans to send the first set of budget initiative signatures to state government officials on Monday, the day before Chicago State University is expected to shut down due to a lack of state funding.

Chicago State relies on state appropriations for about 30 percent of their budget, which equates to about $36 million in funding.

If more signatures are received after Monday, they will still be sent to state government officials, Brandner said.

Brandner electronically distributed the letter, which he finalized on Feb. 22, to representatives of roughly 60 to 70 higher education institutions. The Senate will vote on the resolution at their meeting Sunday.

Representatives of other higher education institutions are being encouraged to create their own letters or resolutions to be sent to state government officials that explicitly state their support of the budget initiative crafted by the SA.