Madigan Democrats Trying to Force $500 Million Chicago Bailout

“Mike Madigan is trying to hold schoolchildren hostage to get a $500 million bailout for Chicago, just like he held the budget hostage for years to pass his 32% tax hike. It’s a desperate ploy to direct more taxpayer dollars to Chicago by using children as pawns. It’s sick, but that’s the Madigan way.” – Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Steven Yaffe

Democrats in the General Assembly are holding the future of Illinois schoolchildren hostage by “deliberately refusing” to send Governor Rauner any bill to fund education and ensure that schools open.

The News-Gazette editorial board blasted Madigan’s Democrats earlier this week, writing that, “They’ve been holding the school funding formula legislation in the Senate since May 31 — more than six weeks — deliberately refusing to send Senate Bill 1 for action to Gov. Rauner.”

“Democrats need to get the bill to Rauner’s desk as soon as possible.”

The Dispatch Argus editorial board highlighted how Madigan booby trapped his 32% tax hike budget in order to force a bailout.

“Among the devilish details in the 583-page Illinois budget we outlined Wednesday lurks a potentially dangerous phrase requiring school funding to be given out via an evidence-based system…. Senate Bill 1, which creates a needs-based funding method, was approved by the Illinois General Assembly in May. But it has never been sent to Gov. Bruce Rauner. Leaders reportedly are holding it while they seek ways to avoid a veto of the bill over what the GOP leader called a pension bailout for Chicago schools.”

“Critics believe Democratic leaders’ real motivation is to tar Gov. Rauner with slamming closed the schoolhouse doors.”

It’s time for Mike Madigan and his fellow politicians to stop holding children hostage and agree to bipartisan education funding that does not take money from students across the state to bailout Chicago.

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