The sequel to Illinois’ historic budget standoff is rapidly coming to a head in Springfield, with millions of schoolchildren caught in the middle of poisonous relations between Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Chicago Democrats.
The dispute, at the center of a new special legislative session called by Rauner, holds the potential to block billions of dollars of state funding for elementary and secondary schools across Illinois just before a new school year is set to begin.
At issue is a catch built into the state budget that became law on July 6 over Rauner’s objections. It says that no school funding can be issued anywhere unless a separate measure containing an "evidence based" funding model, such as that contained in Senate Bill 1 (SB1), also becomes law that overhauls the formula for distributing general state aid to give a bigger share to districts with more low-income students.
SB1 passed the General Assembly in May with almost exclusively Democratic votes but was in parliamentary limbo until July 31 when it landed on Rauner’s desk and he mulled carrying through on a threat to use his amendatory veto power to strike tens of millions of dollars for the financially beleaguered Chicago Public Schools. (Update: The next day, August 1, Rauner carried through on his amendatory veto threat.)
Rauner telegraphed his action in a July 20 press release. “As written, the bill includes a bailout of Chicago’s broken teacher pension system,” Rauner said, arguing that the measure rewarded Chicago at the expense of suburban and Downstate districts. Democrats beg to differ.
As the numbers fly and hyperbole grows, we decided to take a closer look at Rauner’s “bailout” claim.
