Eye On Illinois: GOP won’t let Welch escape criticism for backing sports complex at alma mater

“I do not believe the majority party nor Gov. Pritzker intend to fund the school construction grants now or anytime in the future.”

So said state Sen. Terri Bryant, R-Murphysboro, responding to an email I sent her about the dozens of school districts waiting decades to see funding for projects that met eligibility requirements for the construction grants program enacted in 1997. The idea, as a May 20 column detailed, was “largely to address the shortage of classroom space due to population growth or aging buildings.”

It’s not surprising the 2026 budget didn’t allocate the long-awaited money, especially given how frequently elected officials insisted it was a difficult financial year with limited resources for increased demands.

It’s also not surprising to see Republicans blasting a single line item in the $55 billion spending plan: $40 million to build a multi-sport complex at Proviso West High School in Hillside. That school is the alma mater of House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, who also served on the school board before his legislative career.

This project may be a great community investment. But it’s not more important than life safety issues elsewhere, and the GOP won’t let Welch shirk the spotlight.

CHECK THE LIST: Is the cost of living going up in your community? One easy way to check is to visit tax.illinois.gov – the Department of Revenue – to find a summary of sales tax rate changes taking effect July 1. The posting is written for businesses that need to change their cash registers and software, but it’s an alphabetized list of 53 jurisdictions, from Addison to Wyanet. The chart lists the current and new combined rates, plus the percentage difference, as well as the type of change (home rule or not, business district, county public safety and more). Head directly to the bulletin at tinyurl.com/JulyTaxRates.

HARD HATS REQUIRED: The Joliet Area Historical Museum is offering tours of the Old Joliet Prison’s administration building on the second and fourth Saturday of each month through November. Shaw Media’s Bob Okon reported on the program this week, quoting a news release promising an “unfiltered look at areas previously closed to the public. … Expect intimidating, castellated gothic architecture, original fixtures and a deep dive into the stories that shaped over a century of incarceration. Learn details on the massive preservation work performed to save this landmark.”

Tour participants must be 16 or older; tickets cost $52 per person (museum members pay only $42) and include a day pass for self-guided exploration of the other 16 acres, which provides access to the firehouse, library, commissary, captains court, prison industries, mattress factory, inmate dining room, cafeteria, showers, north segregation, solitary confinement and east and west cell houses. Learn more at jolietprison.org.

• Scott T. Holland writes about state government issues for Shaw Local News Network. He can be reached at sholland@shawmedia.com.