Halpin announces summer reading program for students

ROCK ISLAND – State Senator Mike Halpin is hosting a Summer Book Club program to encourage students to read and continue their studies during the summer break.  

“This gives students the opportunity to have fun while continuing to read this summer,” said Halpin (D-Rock Island). “The goal is to keep kids engaged this summer and reward them with a prize for doing so. It’s a great opportunity for families with children.”

The Summer Book Club requires students to read eight books of their choice during the summer break, record the names of the books on a form, and return the form to Halpin’s office by Aug. 16. Every child who completes the Summer Book Club will receive a gift card and a certificate from Senator Halpin.

Summer Book Club forms are available to download at SenatorHalpin.com/SBC.  Halpin urges residents with questions to call his Rock Island office at (309) 558-3612 or Galesburg office at (309) 297-4483.

Halpin secures funding for veteran grant program for first time in a decade

ROCK ISLAND – State Senator Mike Halpin highlighted a major funding victory for Illinois colleges on the work they do to recruit veterans.

“The state has done the right thing by requiring our universities to accept Illinois veterans, but for too long we have failed to provide the funding for this program,” said Halpin (D-Rock Island). “Addressing this unfunded mandate will allow our universities to continue to recruit veterans and begin to repay the debt we owe them for their service.”

Halpin successfully secured $6 million for the Illinois Veteran Grant Program (IVG) and Illinois Nation Guard Grant Program (ING) at Illinois colleges and universities. The funding was allocated in the Fiscal Year 2025 budget, which was signed into law on Wednesday.

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Halpin announces funding for mental health clinics in Moline, Rock Island and Galesburg

ROCK ISLAND – State Senator Mike Halpin announced three area mental health centers have been selected to participate in a federal program designed to expand and improve access to coordinated mental health care and substance use treatment.

“This is an investment in the health and well-being of our local communities,” said Halpin (D-Rock Island). “Being selected as part of this program will ensure mental and behavioral health services are available for residents in crisis, regardless of their ability to pay.”

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Halpin: Budget supports working families, more work needs to be done

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mike Halpin (D-Rock Island) released the following statement on the Senate passage of the Fiscal Year 2025 budget:

“Although aspects of the budget we passed tonight leave me disappointed, and we’ll need to do more work next year, no budget is perfect. What we passed tonight strikes a balance that will benefit the people of Western Illinois.

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