SPRINGFIELD – Designs set to begin on the reconstruction of the long-in-disuse State Armory Building at Monroe and 2nd Street in Springfield, State Senator Doris Turner said the eventual return of the facility could be transformative for the capital.

“My hometown is full of historic moments, and I believe the speech Martin Luther King, Jr. gave at the Armory during the AFL-CIO convention in 1965 is one that definitely deserves this recognition,” said Turner. “This facility is not just a part of history, but also holds tremendous potential for the future of downtown Springfield, and I eagerly await its future reuse.”

Late last month, Senator Robert Peters and Turner introduced a Senate Resolution to commemorate King’s 1965 speech, in which he spoke about justice, democracy, and organizational progress at the AFL-CIO convention Senate Joint Resolution 3 seeks to capture the essence of the building's impressive history by placing a bronze plaque at the renovated facility with words from Dr. King’s speech.

On Tuesday, the Illinois Capital Development Board (CDB) announced its selection of Tilton, Kelly + Bell, as the preferred architectural design firm for the renovation of the State Armory Building in Springfield. CDB will oversee the $122 million project’s design and construction. The administration has already released $12.2 million to begin the design and stabilization of the building which has sat abandoned since 2008.

The first phase of reconstructing the Illinois State Armory will include inspections and assessing its existing condition.

SJR 3 passed the Senate 53-0.

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) announced Monday that $7 million in local infrastructure funding will be distributed to local governments as part of the Rebuild Illinois program, and State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield) is pleased to announce that Montgomery and Macoupin counties will receive a portion of those funds.

“Truck drivers have so much to consider like truck size, weight and type of cargo they are carrying,” said Turner. “It’s important to recognize not all vehicles are able to travel the same routes to get to their destination safely and on time. Creating a designated truck route in these communities will help manage traffic and provide an overall safer driving experience for everyone.”

This grant is made possible through IDOT’s Truck Access Route Program, which allows counties, municipalities and townships to apply for assistance in upgrading roads to accommodate 80,000-pound trucks and become designated truck routes. IDOT will be providing funding to Litchfield and Carlinville:

•Old Route 66 (located at Illinois 16 County Road 170 E) $76,500
•Shipman Road (located at Shipman Road Illinois 108 Loveless Parkway) $94,000

“This funding will also boost jobs, which we so desperately need right now,” Turner said. “I am proud of the work being done to ensure our community has the necessary resources to grow while improving road safety for residents.”

A complete list of projects can be viewed here.

[SPRINGFIELD] – State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield) is announcing that school districts in Central Illinois will receive nearly $125 million in additional funding to help address the many challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is major news for Central Illinois, especially for our students and teachers now that the end of the pandemic is in sight,” said Turner. “I encourage local districts to use this funding to help the most at-risk students. When school districts spend money wisely, they have better outcomes, including higher test scores and increased graduation rates.”

The funding comes as part of the most recent federal COVID-19 relief packages. Schools, students and parents have overcome challenges that no one could have imagined before the pandemic began, including remote and hybrid learning, digital connection issues, new processes for receiving state and federal aid that normally flow through schools, and more.

Local schools are set to receive the following amounts:
• Morrisonville CUSD 1- $438,516
• Taylorville CUSD 3- 6,435,198
• Edinburg CUSD 4- $673,771
• Pana CUSD 8- $4,976,666
• South Fork SD 14- $995,486
• Panhandle CUSD 2- $1,366,902
• Hillsboro CUSD 3- $4,608,564
• Litchfield CUSD 12- $4,899,443
• Nokomis CUSD 22- $3,533,859
• Central A & M CUD 21- $1,769,680
• Sangamon Valley CUSD 9- $1,083,382
• Decatur SD 61- $71,325,913
• Carlinville CUSD 1- $41,58,572
• Mount Olive CUSD 5- $1,124,611
• Staunton CUSD 6- $1,831,770
• Gillespie CUSD 7- $5,014,711
• Bunker Hill CUSD 8- $1,279,813
• Southwestern CUSD 9- $2,386,027
• North Mac CUSD 34- $4,273,024
• Rochester CUSD 3A- $1,542,201

The majority of the funding comes from the American Rescue Plan, which gives local schools a great deal of flexibility in how they can use the money over the next 3 ½ years. At least 20% of the funding must be used to address learning loss, but beyond that, school districts can use the money to address many different issues and costs. For example, it can be used to better equip schools for safe learning, to prevent layoffs, to address students’ social and emotional needs, to fund summer programs, or to ensure all students have access to reliable Wi-Fi and technology.

The State Board of Education, in collaboration with other state agencies that address education, has produced a guide for local school districts to help them decide how to best use their resources. While the guide and other state-sponsored services are completely voluntary, the state aims to support local districts during this difficult time.

“The additional funding will help ensure that students have schools with better facilities and more curriculum options,” Turner said. “I would personally like to thank local teachers, parents, staff and students for all of their hard work during this unprecedented time.”

In total, Illinois received nearly $7 billion to support local school districts.

SPRINGFIELD – Youth Career Pathways, a new program led by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, recently awarded Southwestern High School grant dollars to expand access to training and support services for youth ages 16-24.

“This is a great opportunity for students, and something that will ensure lasting positive effects right here in Central Illinois,” said State

Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield). “We must commit to diversifying our strategies in programming, school curriculum and instruction, especially for at-risk students. We can eliminate these unfortunate risk factors that threaten students’ academic progress if we create more stimulating learning environments.”

This year, through the expanded program, the state will prioritize youth in disproportionately impacted areas and who are at risk for dropping out and falling behind on career preparedness. This includes youth who reside in minority and rural communities.

Grant money will assist workforce providers across Illinois in increasing training that helps youths obtain marketable skills that prepare them for their future careers.

Applicants eligible for the program include community colleges, community-based organizations, workforce agencies, school districts and other entities with a demonstrated plan to serve the target populations with postsecondary training and credentialing.