East Central Reporter

Chris Miller, the state representative for Illinois House District 101, said that House Bill 1581 will change how higher education funding is allocated to state schools by linking it to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) admissions.

"Radical Democrats are focused on DEI and Transgenderism instead of quality education," said Chris G. Miller, State Representative for 101st District (R), according to Facebook. "HB 1581 changes the higher education funding formula for state schools based on DEI admissions."

House Bill 1581 introduces the Adequate and Equitable Public University Funding Act. According to the bill, the Board of Higher Education must use a funding formula to allocate money for public universities' general operating expenses. The legislation also instructs the state board to establish an accountability and transparency committee and implement a framework for proper fund distribution and usage. Filed by Representative Carol Ammons on January 22, the bill was last referred to the House Rules Committee. It has garnered support from 25 co-sponsors in the House. If enacted, it will take immediate effect as per the legislature’s website.

Screenshot of State Representative Chris Miller's May 2 Facebook post | State Representative Chris Miller's Facebook page

In February, Western Illinois University staff and faculty were briefed about two bills—House Bill 1581 and Senate Bill 13—that would alter funding methods for higher education institutions. According to a report from WGEM on February 20, Zach Messersmith, Western Illinois University’s director of government relations, indicated that under the new system, each university would be evaluated individually rather than through a broad funding model. Messersmith said this approach "doesn’t recognize differences in student need, the way an equity-based formula would."

Capitol News Illinois reports that plans to revamp public university funding have been underway for four years. The proposal includes an additional $1.7 billion in funding over the next decade or more. The funds would be distributed via a formula prioritizing universities with inadequate funding levels. This proposed formula was developed by the Illinois Commission on Equitable Public Education Funding, established in 2021. It begins with setting an "adequacy target" to determine necessary funding for each institution before assessing available resources such as state aid, tuition, and fees to calculate any shortfall.

Miller was first elected to the Illinois State House of Representatives in 2019 and hails from Illinois. He is a third-generation cattle farmer and grain operator based in Hindsboro and holds an associate degree in agriculture from Lake Land College along with a Bachelor of Science in Education.