(SPRINGFIELD, IL) — Southern Illinois University and other state universities would finally get state support and potentially scale back program cuts and layoffs thanks to legislation Democratic State Senator Gary Forby of Benton supported Thursday in the Illinois Senate. Forby helped the Senate approve legislation that includes $185 million in support for SIU. The vote comes just days after university leaders warned lawmakers that deep cuts and layoffs were coming because the state had stopped supporting state schools.The proposal Forby supported also cements an Amtrak deal to keep trains running through Carbondale and elsewhere in the state. Gov. Rauner and state transportation officials announced a deal with Amtrak in February. However, because the governor last year vetoed the budget that includes Amtrak funding, he had no spending authority to honor that contract. The legislation Forby helped pass gives the governor the authority to honor that contract. The measure, Senate Bill 2059, passed the Senate with a vote of 39 to 18 and will now go to the House for consideration.