CREDIT: C-Span2

Aurora University is hosting a public policy discussion next week with a fascinating yet daunting premise: “Fixing Illinois.”

The discussion will highlight recommendations to solve and lessen problems in Illinois and features an expert panel: former state Rep. James D. Nowlan and former director of the Illinois Department of Revenue J. Thomas Johnson in conjunction with Rick Pearson of the Chicago Tribune.

The Town Square Series event will take place at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015, in Crimi Auditorium in the Institute for Collaboration at 1347 Prairie St. in Aurora. The event is free and open to the public.

Nowlan and Johnson are co-authors of the book “Fixing Illinois: Policy and Politics in the Prairie State,” which features nearly 100 policy ideas aimed at rescuing the state from its long list of problems. The authors address budget, education, economic development, health and human services, and infrastructure issues. They will discuss some of their proposals at Aurora University with Pearson, who is a political reporter for the Tribune and contributor to WGN-TV and WGN-AM.

“We are pleased to invite Illinois residents to campus for what is sure to be an enlightening and engaging first program of our new Town Square Series,” said Tom Cross, former Illinois House Republican leader and current distinguished fellow at Aurora University. “In ‘Fixing Illinois,’ Nowlan and Johnson offer a common sense analysis of the state’s problems and comprehensive recommendations to tackle a variety of issues plaguing the state. I look forward to welcoming community members to the university and hearing from these respected public servants about how our state can be restored to greatness.”

To register for this event, visit auartsandideas.com, email artsandideas@aurora.edu or call 630-844-4924. Press photos for events are available at alumni.aurora.edu/press.

About Aurora University

Aurora University is an inclusive community dedicated to the transformative power of learning, annually educating approximately 5,200 degree-seeking students at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. The university has a long tradition of preparing students for lives of service and leadership, and using its resources and expertise to meet the needs of the community. In addition to its main campus and the Orchard Center in Aurora, Illinois, AU offers programs online, at its George Williams College campus in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, and at the Woodstock Center in downtown Woodstock, Illinois. Learn more at aurora.edu.