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.

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.”

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.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mike Halpin advanced a measure through the Illinois Senate to create specialty Air Force Combat Action Medal license plates.  

“This is a way for us to thank Air Force veterans for their service to our country,” said Halpin (D-Rock Island). “I was proud to see this measure pass with bipartisan support.”

Currently, the Air Force is the only branch of the military that does not have a license plate for combat veterans. The Illinois Secretary of State is authorized to issue Combat Action Ribbon license plates to members of the Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps, and Combat Action Badge license plates to special groups within the Army.