Join the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute and the Office of Innovation and Economic Development for a watch party and discussion of the CTBA FY 2026 Fiscal Symposium, “From Washington to Springfield: How Policy Decisions Shape Illinois,” on Tuesday, Sept. 22, from 9–11:30 a.m. at the Small Business Development Center.
The symposium will explore how federal budget and tax decisions are affecting Illinois families, communities and public institutions, including the state’s fiscal outlook and the challenges facing education.
Of particular interest to the SIU community, the symposium’s second panel, “Education Under Pressure: Federal Disinvestment, State Revenue Losses, and What Illinois Must Decide,” will feature Illinois State Rep. Will Davis, an SIU alumnus, and Daniel F. Mahony, president of the Southern Illinois University System.
The event is free and open to the public, with coffee and pastries served. Attendees will have an opportunity to watch the symposium together and participate in a discussion of the issues and policy choices shaping Illinois.
Panel 1: Illinois & Chicago at a Fiscal Crossroads: Navigating Federal Choices and the Path Forward Illinois & Chicago at a Fiscal Crossroads: Navigating Federal Choices and the Path Forward
Description: Federal budget and tax decisions under the "Big Beautiful Bill" — spanning Medicaid funding formulas, corporate tax changes, and aid-to-states reductions — are landing simultaneously on Illinois and Chicago. With the state and local governments both carrying significant fiscal burdens, including chronic structural deficits and mounting pension obligations, the compounding effect of federal disinvestment threatens to deepen existing budget gaps and further constrain the resources available for essential public services. As Washington reshapes the fiscal terrain, what does a sustainable path forward look like for both Illinois and the City?
Panelists (in alphabetical order):
· Rep. Kam Buckner—Illinois State Representative, 26th District; Speaker Pro Tempore, Illinois House; former Chair, Illinois House Black Caucus
· Annette Guzman—Former Budget Director, City of Chicago
· Ald. Matt Martin—Alderman, 47th Ward, City of Chicago; former Civil Rights Attorney, Illinois Attorney General’s Office
· Rep. Rita Mayfield—Illinois State Representative, 60th District; Chair, House Appropriations: Public Safety & Infrastructure Committee; first African American Female State Representative elected to the 60th District
Panel 2: Education Under Pressure: Federal Disinvestment, State Revenue Losses, and What Illinois Must Decide
Description: Illinois faces a cascading education funding crisis driven by federal policy choices. At the K–12 level, cuts to Title I and IDEA threaten the students and schools most dependent on federal support. In higher education, grant terminations and indirect cost caps are landing on campuses already navigating Pell Grant uncertainty. Meanwhile, federal corporate tax changes are quietly reducing the tax revenues that fund school districts across the state. Together, these pressures demand a serious reckoning with what level of state investment is needed—and whether Illinois is prepared to provide it.
Panelists (in alphabetical order):
· Rep. Will Davis—Illinois State Representative, 30th District, Chair, House Approp-Elementary & Secondary Education and Fiscal Impact Subcommittee
· Rep. Norma Hernandez—Illinois State Representative, 77th District
· Daniel F. Mahony—President, Southern Illinois University System
· Robin Steans—President, Advance Illinois