Representative Mike Smiddy (D-Illinois) spoke to Western Illinois University faculty, staff, and students Monday at the Leslie F. Malpass Library. Smiddy is a member of the House Higher Education Committee. He emphasized the need to fund higher education, but also K-12.
“We need to make sure that we fund higher education at appropriate levels to allow these kids to be able to raise themselves up, and move on, and get better jobs, and do better than what their parents have done before them,” Smiddy said. “That means funding not only higher education, but making sure elementary and secondary education is also funded at an acceptable rate so they can get to that point of going to college.”
Smiddy is a WIU graduate. He took questions from the crowd on a variety of topics including campaign finance reform, pensions, taxes, and the budget impasse.
