State Stix

In April the general funds end-of-month balance was $133.53 million; the general funds average daily available balance was $114.16 million; and the combined funds end-of-month balance was $355.81 million. . . . According to the federal Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, federal aid to slates and localities rose by 10.4 percent in fiscal year 1980. The average annual rate of increase from 1974-1978 was 16 percent. If adopted, the Reagan administration budget proposal will give states and localities a 6.7 percent rate of increase in federal aid, which is an absolute decline of 8.5 percent. . . . Although an almost equal amount of miles were driven in 1979 and 1980, gasoline consumption in 1980 dropped 7.1 percent, according to the Institute of Natural Resources. Illinois motorists also had to pay $1.2 billion more for fuel in 1980 than in 1979. . . . During the 1970s there was a 48 percent increase in higher education enrollment in Illinois, reported state Comptroller Roland Burris. Enrollment in 1980 was 716,689, an increase of 234,276 over 1971, with 50.4 percent of the total number of students enrolled in community colleges. University spending from the General Revenue Fund increased 74 percent, climbing to $271.5 million between fiscal years 1971 and 1980. Spending for community colleges increased 180.4 percent, or $87.5 million, while funding of the Illinois State Scholarship Commission rose $45.7 million, or 128.7 percent. . . . The Illinois Department of Public Aid collected more than $1.35 million in child support payments in January, a 23 percent increase over last year, reported the governor's office. This is unusual the report noted, because high unemployment periods usually mean low collection rates. . . . According to findings released from the state Department of Agriculture on December 31, 1980, 122,004 acres of Illinois farmland are foreign-owned. That comprises about four-tenths of one percent of the 28.8 million acres of Illinois land used for farming. . . . The Illinois Arts Council awarded $245,869 in grants to individual artists and non-profit organizations for programming through August 1981. The council awarded $40,620 to 72 individual artists to complete work-in-progress; $135,496 to 67 organizations; $81,878 to community arts organizations; and $8,384 in technical assistance for all groups. Some of the larger grants included $14,000 to the Chicago Park District for Grant Park concerts; $14,258 to the Chicago Council on Fine Arts; and $12,000 to the Woodstock Music Theatre. . . . Illinois has received $483,828 of the $32.5 million awarded in historic preservation grants-in-aid given by the U.S. Department of Interior to the states, U.S. territories and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. . . . 1980 attendance for Illinois state parks was down 7,500 persons from 1979, according to the Department of Conservation. A total of 30,718,190 persons visited the more than 120 areas managed by the department. ... A record number of oil or hazardous material spills were reported in 1980, according to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Of the 885 reported 337 were classed as minor; 398, significant; 120, major; and 30 "major large scale". . . . Alcohol and drug abuse among Chicago teenagers (between the ages of 15 and 18) has risen 30 percent in the last five years, according to a City Club of Chicago study. Approximately 60,000 teenagers are involved in serious drug or alcohol abuse, accounting for 12 percent of the city's teenage population. . . . The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency reports that the ozone levels in the state during May 1 to September 30, 1980 were generally above 1979 levels but below 1977 and 1978 levels. For the first time since 1976, no ozone yellow alerts were issued; ozone health advisories were issued, however, on 72 days. The northern half of the state had lower ozone levels than the southern half. Edwardsville had the worst problem; it showed the highest hours and number of days with high ozone concentrations, the highest number of health advisories issued and tied with Moline for the highest ozone concentration of the year.                                          Shelley Davis

June 1981/ Illinois Issues/31