Your source for community news and sports 7 days a week.
Jackpot was a big draw
COMETS KEEP THE BALL ROLLING
AMBOY DEPOT DAYS, A3
FOOTBALL, B1
dailyGAZETTE Monday, August 29, 2016 n SERVING ROCK FALLS, STERLING AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1854
FAIR MAP AMENDMENT
Voters didn’t get a Fair chance Local lawmakers frustrated court kept redistricting off the ballot; say they’ll continue to fight for it BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are expressing their disappointment and frustration after the courts again ruled to keep a Fair Map Amendment off the ballot.
The Illinois Supreme Court, in a 4-3 decision handed down Thursday, affirmed the ruling by a Cook County judge who determined the ballot initiative seeking to give legislative mapmaking power to an independent commission instead of lawmakers was unconstitutional. The ruling came 1 day before the dead-
line for certifying the November ballots. This is the second time in 2 years that an attempt to overhaul redistricting through the petition process has failed. Nearly 600,000 Illinois residents had signed the most recent petition to change the way legislative districts are drawn. State Rep. Tom Demmer, R-Dixon, said lawmakers must continue the fight
to honor the will of the people. “This clearly has the support of a majority of our citizens, and it’s our job in the Legislature to put it on the ballot,” Demmer said. “I’m frustrated and find it problematic that an effort many years in the making with voter support has been silenced again.” REDISTRICTING continued on A54
ILLINOIS
STERLING
Leading a horsepower to water
Fixed rates breaking students’ budgets Research: Tuition lock for in-state students ends up costing everyone more
Photos by Michael Krabbenhoeft/mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com
Who knew a 1930 Fairbanks and Morse three-horsepower, throttle-governed engine and a Fairbanks water pump could be so much fun? Mitchell Martin did. The 4-year-old from Fenton, Missouri, was having fun Saturday in the water fountain that was powered by the engine at the 10th annual Farm Heritage Festival in Sterling. The event, held at East Jordan Church, was a celebration of farming, and just like any day on the farm, it started off with a hearty breakfast, followed by a day of farm machine demonstrations, farming activities, visits with farm animals and fun activities for the junior farmers. The event was free, but proceeds from food sales throughout the day went toward the church’s Habitat for Humanity Mission Crew.
There were big Deeres and little ones at the festival. TOP: Kenneth Nusbaum of Sterling cleans his 1958 John Deere Model 820 tractor. BOTTOM: Kaden Jackson, 1, of Penrose and his grandfather, Bruce Jackson, look at a toy John Deere tractor.
Stan Brandon of Franklin Grove shows off his blacksmith skills Saturday at the festival. ONLINE EXTRA: Read this story at saukvalley.com to see video, and more photos, from Saturday’s event
CHAMPAIGN (AP) – The Illinois law that locks in tuition rates for in-state students appears to have the unintended effect of driving up tuition for out-of-state students and fees for all, according to a pair of studies from University of Illinois researchers. The law, which took effect in 2004, guarantees a freshman at a state university will pay the same tuition rate for 4 years. Only three other states – Oklahoma, Texas and, as of this summer, North Carolina – have similar laws. But lawmakers in places like Utah and Idaho recently have considered or at least discussed fixed-rate tuition laws. Such laws throughout the country, however, increased student fees between 2000 and 2012 by 40 percent and tuition rates for out-of-state students by 28 percent, according to a study published in the SeptemberOctober issue of the Journal of Higher Education by researchers Jennifer Delaney and Tyler Kearney. In Illinois alone, 12 public universities increased their nonresident tuition rates by up to 30 percent since 2004, which was faster than other states, they wrote in a study published last year in the journal Economics of Education Review. “Our research is showing the increase beyond what was expected,” Delaney said, because university administrators who were forced to plan out revenue needs for 4-year periods appear to have increased non-resident tuition as a way to keep the money flowing, Delaney said. Average public-university tuitions that had been under $4,000 both in Illinois and the rest of the country in 2000 grew far apart – by 2010, the average public tuition rate in Illinois was well over $7,000 a year compared to under $5,000 in other states. The price of a state college degree nationwide has risen alongside dwindling state support and a rise in student loan debt; in Illinois, the ongoing budget crisis has cut not only state support of public universities but also financial aid. But those decreases in state support started years ago, and drove drastic jumps in tuition. TUITION continued on A54
$1.00
TODAY’S EDITION: 20 PAGES 2 SECTIONS VOL. 162 ISSUE 185
INDEX
ABBY.................... A7 COMICS................ A8 CROSSWORD.......B9
LIFESTYLE............ A7 LOTTERY.............. A2 MILITARY.............. A4
OBITUARIES......... A4 OPINION............... A6 POLICE................. A2
Today’s weather High 84. Low 67. More on A3.
TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE PAPER, CALL 815-625-3600
Need work? Check out your classifieds, B6.