Students, faculty and higher education officials are scheduled to rally against the state’s historic budget impasse on Wednesday at the Illinois State Capitol.

The rally, organized by the Illinois Coalition to Invest in Higher Education, will be at 1 p.m. in the first floor Rotunda of the Capitol in Springfield, according to two promotional fliers.

The group says it has invited Tom Cross, chairman of the Illinois Board of Higher Education, State Sen. Pat McGuire, chairman of the senate’s Higher Education Committee, among other higher education officials.

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Some SIU officials — including university system President Randy Dunn, who is a member of the nonpartisan coalition — may not be able to attend because the SIU Board of Trustees is scheduled to hold an executive meeting that day in Edwardsville.

Since July 2015, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democrats who control the state Legislature, including House Speaker Michael Madigan, have failed to come to an agreement on a state spending plan.

This has harmed higher education throughout Illinois, leading to program cuts and layoffs at some institutions. Officials have also attributed the decline of enrollment at some public universities to fear projected by the stalemate in Springfield.

The two fliers can be viewed here and here.

The Daily Egyptian’s news desk can be reached at [email protected] or 618-536-3397.

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