Pritzker’s community college initiative stalls in House committee
[March 21, 2025]
By Peter Hancock
SPRINGFIELD — One of Gov. JB Pritzker’s top legislative initiatives
stalled in the General Assembly this week when the chair of the House
Higher Education Committee refused to call a vote on a bill that would
authorize community colleges to offer four-year bachelor’s degree
programs in select, high-demand career fields.
The decision not to call the bill for a vote came as lawmakers face a
Friday deadline for most bills other than spending bills to pass out of
committee and be sent to the floor of their respective chamber.
But legislative deadlines are not always strictly observed in
Springfield, and Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, who chairs the
committee, said the decision not to act on the bill does not necessarily
mean it is dead for the session.
“I don’t think around here anything’s really ever dead, and I think
there’s a path forward,” she told reporters after Wednesday’s committee
hearing.
Pritzker called for expanding the role of community colleges by allowing
them to offer four-year degree programs in his State of the State
address in February. The idea was to make those programs more affordable
and accessible to Illinoisans, especially those who don’t live near a
four-year university.
House Bill 3717, sponsored by Rep. Tracy Katz Muhl, D-Northbrook, would
implement Pritzker’s plan. It would allow community colleges to offer
bachelor’s degree programs in select areas, provided the school’s board
of trustees can demonstrate the program would help fill an “unmet
workforce need” in the area the school serves, and that the school has
sufficient resources, expertise and student interest to sustain the
program.
But Stuart, whose district includes the campus of Southern Illinois
University Edwardsville, said concerns have been raised that allowing
community colleges to offer bachelor’s programs could undercut similar
programs already being offered by four-year universities.
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Legislation that would allow community colleges to offer four-year
bachelor’s degree programs has hit a roadblock in the General
Assembly. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Peter Hancock)
Stuart said her concerns were not necessarily about the impact the
change would have on SIUE, but rather schools such as Northeastern
Illinois University and Chicago State University that serve largely
minority student populations.
After Wednesday’s hearing, a coalition of presidents from several public
and private universities, including Chicago State and NEIU, issued a
statement saying they were concerned the legislation could lead to
“duplicating efforts and increasing costs at a time of limited
resources,” but they suggested there was still room for a compromise.
“We are encouraged by negotiations and remain committed to working
collaboratively to build a higher education ecosystem that serves all of
our students and employers,” the statement read.
A spokesman for Pritzker also said there was still time to negotiate a
bill that would satisfy the concerns of lawmakers and universities.
“It’s March, and plenty of time remains in session to achieve that
goal,” press secretary Alex Gough said in an email. “He (Pritzker) looks
forward to continuing discussions with lawmakers in both chambers and
other stakeholders throughout the rest of the legislative session.”
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