BURBANK—State Senator Mike Porfirio was appointed to serve on multiple Veterans committees by Senate President Don Harmon.

 Porfirio continues to serve in the Navy Reserve and is an Afghanistan War Veteran, where he served as an advisor to the Afghan Police from 2013-2014. Additionally, Porfirio deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Pakistani Earthquake Relief efforts and Humanitarian missions in Central and South America.

“It’s an honor to represent the veteran community on these committees and I appreciate President Harmon’s confidence in me,” said Porfirio (D-Lyons Township). “Veteran suicide is a national emergency and Illinois’ efforts in breakthrough therapies to prevent veteran suicide needs to remain a priority.”

Porfirio was appointed to the Breakthrough Therapies for Veteran Suicide Prevention Program Advisor Council. This council was created to support clinical access to and training for medication-assisted United States Food and Drug Administration breakthrough therapies for veteran suicide prevention.

Porfirio was also appointed to the Interagency Advisory Committee on Hiring Veterans. The IACHV supports veteran employment and focuses on topics related to recruiting, hiring, acclimation, retention and promotion of veterans, reservists, and National Guardsmen in the workforce.

Additionally, Porfirio will serve on the Veterans Advisory Council. IVAC gives veterans a voice in government and provides information on veterans’ benefits to those who need them.  

“We need to recruit veterans to return to Illinois after their service or come to Illinois and make it their home,” said Porfirio. “Transitioning after military service can be difficult, and I’ll continue to fight to provide veterans the best support and resources possible.”

All three appointments are effective immediately and will not expire until January 2025.

BURBANK—State Senator Mike Porfirio announced the opening of a Disaster Recovery Center at Morton College in Cicero to assist residents with applying for financial relief following this summer’s storms and flooding.

“The recent storms caused immeasurable damage for many families who don’t know how they’ll get back on their feet,” said Porfirio (D-Lyons Township). “I encourage all community members who have not applied online for assistance to take advantage of this opportunity.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Town of Cicero finalized the opening of the DRC on Tuesday, Aug. 29. The DRC, run by FEMA, is a location where residents who suffered flood damage can apply in person for Individual Assistance and Small Business Administration assistance, if they have not already applied online.

A Disaster Recovery Center may be able to help residents:

• Apply for FEMA assistance
• Learn the status of your FEMA application
• Understand any letters or contacts you get from FEMA
• Learn more about additional disaster assistance programs
• Find housing and rental assistance information
• Get answers to questions or resolve problems
• Get referrals to agencies that may offer other assistance
• Learn about Small Business Administration programs

“Thank you to all the local, state and federal officials and agencies who have assisted our residents during this time of need,” said Porfirio. “With the opening of the Disaster Recovery Center, we can start taking the right steps to rebuild our community back stronger than ever.”

The Cicero Disaster Recovery Center is located within Morton College at 3801 S. Central Ave., and is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

BURBANK— State Senator Mike Porfirio announced that 12 school districts across the area will receive over $6.2 million in additional funding to help address the financial challenges of recent years.

“Evidence-based funding supports educational opportunities that contribute to the long-term success of our students,” said Porfirio (D-Lyons Township). “Through this funding formula, we can ensure that a solid foundation for improving education systems across the state is being laid, creating a positive ripple effect that extends beyond the classroom.”

The funding comes from the 2017 Illinois Senate Democrat-backed evidence-based funding formula — an overhaul of the way the state funds K-12 education. The law made school funding more equitable by calculating the needs of individual school districts and basing its state revenue on those needs. The formula takes into account a district’s total enrollment, poverty rate and number of special education or English language learners, among other factors.

Local schools set to receive funding through the formula:

• Sterling Morton High School District 201: $2,154,390
• Cicero School District 99: $986,847
• Berwyn North School District 98: $894,808
• Argo Community High School District 217: $726,647
• Burbank School District 111: $635,647
• Riverside Brookfield Township District 208: $455,014
• Summit School District 104: $145,686
• Lyons School District 103: $106,047
• Reavis High School District 220: $52,716
• La Grange School District 102: $44,106
• Lyons Township High School District 204: $3,708
• LaGrange School District 105 (South): $1,105

The Fiscal Year 2024 budget invested $350 million in new funding into students’ success through the evidence-based funding model.

For more information on the FY 24 evidence-based funding distribution, visit the Illinois State Board of Education’s website.

BURBANK—With back-to-school season upon us, State Senator Mike Porfirio is reminding taxpayers they may be able to claim school expenses for their students on their 2023 income tax returns.

“Tax credits such as these help make education more accessible for our students,” said Porfirio (D-Lyons Township). “Expenses related to textbooks and other educational materials can be hefty for parents and educators. Through these breaks, taxpayers can have some of that financial burden alleviated.”

The Illinois Education Expense Credit allows parents or legal guardians of a full-time K-12 student to take a 25% tax credit on qualified education expenses over $250. Qualified educational expenses include tuition, book rental and lab fees.

Additionally, the K-12 Instructional Materials and Supplies Tax Credit allows eligible teachers of full-time K-12 students to receive a tax break for qualified expenses on classroom materials paid during the taxable year. To qualify, taxpayers must be teachers, instructors, counselors, principals or aides in a qualified school for at least 900 hours during a school year.

“Parents and educators invest so much time and money into their students’ education, so we want to support them in their respective roles any way we can,” said Porfirio. “I encourage all residents to take advantage of these tax credits while they are available.”

To learn more about the Illinois Education Expense Credit, click here. For home schooled students, click here. For any additional information, visit the IDOR website.