Madigan’s Democrats Holding SB1, Children Hostage

Governor Bruce Rauner slammed Mike Madigan’s Democrats in a downstate tour this week, highlighting how Madigan’s Chicago pension bailout will take state education dollars away from downstate schools.

Mike Madigan is holding schoolchildren hostage – he’s having his allies in the Senate hold SB1 from reaching the Governor’s desk in a ploy to force a $500 million taxpayer funded bailout of Chicago schools with no promise of financial reform.

But Governor Rauner is bringing Madigan’s scheme to light.

Check out these headlines from Rauner’s tour:

The Southern: Rauner: Amendatory veto of K-12 funding bill would help Southern Illinois schools
Gov. Bruce Rauner said Thursday that his plan to change the language of a key K-12 funding bill would funnel more money into downstate schools and avoid an unfair “bailout” of Chicago Public Schools.
During an interview with The Southern’s editorial board, Rauner called for the General Assembly to send him the Evidence-Based Funding for Student Success Act, also known as SB1, which passed both chambers of the legislature on May 31 and has been held from the governor’s desk ever since.

Fox St. Louis: Gov. Rauner threatens to veto Illinois school funding bill over Chicago pensions
“What’s happening is our school funding for this year, August and September, that bill to fund that is being held up Speaker Madigan,” Rauner said.
…“They’re sitting on it, holding it until August to force a crisis to force taxpayers of Illinois to fund a bailout of Chicago pensions,” he said.

KFVS: IL Gov. Rauner sits down one-on-one to discuss school funding bill
“Release the bill, don’t sit on it, don’t wait until August to create a crisis,” Gov. Rauner said. “Send it to my desk and I will amendatory veto it and take out the bad pension payment part that’s going to cost tax payers money, and schools will open on time with more money.”

KSDK: GOV. RAUNER STOPS IN METRO EAST TO PUSH FOR VETO
Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner stopped in the Metro East Thursday to talk about schools possibly shutting down because they can’t get state funding. The Governor was in Edwardsville trying to garner support for his plan.
Here’s the issue: Funding has been approved by the Democratic-led Legislature to fund public schools, but the Republican Governor said it unfairly gives millions of dollars to Chicago Schools.

SJ-R: Rauner sets deadline for SB1, says he’ll call special session
“This is the cynical manipulation of this process,” Rauner said. ”(Cullerton) has told my Senate colleagues that Speaker Madigan has ordered him to sit on the bill. .. He takes his orders from Speaker Madigan.”

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