* Earlier today, the Rauner-funded Illinois Republican Party claimed that Speaker Madigan was holding the education funding reform bill hostage. This afternoon, Gov. Rauner pinned the hostage-holding tag on the Senate Democrats…
Today, Gov. Bruce Rauner again demanded that lawmakers put the children of Illinois first and send him Senate Bill 1, the education funding bill. Public schools in Illinois may not open in time for the new school year if Democrats in the Illinois Senate don’t send this bill to the governor’s desk. Democratic senators are using a procedural quirk to prevent this measure from reaching the governor’s desk, which puts every public school student in Illinois at risk.
“I’m determined to get our kids back to school on time. It’s my No. 1 priority,” Gov. Rauner said. “That’s why I again insist that lawmakers send me Senate Bill 1 so I can take immediate action. The bill is being held hostage by Democrats in the Senate. They’ve been holding this bill for six weeks now. It’s shameful. Stop putting politics and pensions before our kids. We don’t have any more time to waste. Send me SB 1 now.”
As written, the bill includes a bailout of Chicago’s broken teacher pension system. Gov. Rauner plans to issue an amendatory veto that will eliminate the Chicago Public Schools’ bailout and result in higher state funding for almost every school district in Illinois.
…Adding… The headline on that press release was a bit unfortunate…
Gov. Rauner: Put kids in front of politics, send me the education bill
Um, OK. Kids should probably never be put in front of Illinois politics.
- Spliff - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 3:52 pm:
Congrats. IPI finally figured out how to use ILGA.gov The Gov must be so proud of them. They have come a long way in just under 2 weeks.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 3:55 pm:
“Send me the bill so I can veto it and keep kids in limbo. Because, Madigan”
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 4:01 pm:
Is it Madigan or the Senate Dems?
Goldberg and Z never had these type of message foul-ups
- Three-Finger Brown - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 4:01 pm:
Rauner criticizing others for legislative hostage taking is like Blackbeard complaining about piracy.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 4:03 pm:
@FakeKenDunkin - Madigan, Senate Dems… now I’m confused. #Irony
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 4:06 pm:
The reults of this new messaging is going to be the talk of those North Shore cocktail parties.
- don the legend - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 4:08 pm:
Madigan, Senate Democrats. Same thing to Raunerites.
- Michelle Flaherty - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 4:10 pm:
Getting kids back in school is my number one priority, that’s why I …
Created a school funding commission that failed to deliver any actual legislation
Worked to sabotage the Grand Bargain that included school funding reform
Vetoed the education budget
Vetoed the revenue bill that provided the increased funding for the education budget
Hired a bunch of public school haters to run the day-to-day operations of the state
- Bruce Please - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 4:14 pm:
Before. Not in front of. Come on. #bteam
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 4:14 pm:
Like listening to an echo. “I demand” just isn’t going to work this time. Say the magic words. I think they proved his irrelevance with the budget.
- Whatever - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 4:18 pm:
Ugh — that new Comms Team is pathetic.
- Moderate Condor - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 4:19 pm:
Madigan and the prepositions he controls.
- Joe Bidenopolous - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 4:20 pm:
I mean, that’s nice and all, but I’m going to wait for Governor Proft to weigh in.
- Anon III - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 4:23 pm:
Mandamus. A writ or order that is issued from a court of superior jurisdiction that commands an inferior tribunal, corporation, Municipal Corporation, or individual to perform, or refrain from performing, a particular act, the performance or omission of which is required by law as an obligation.
- Mama - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 4:27 pm:
=- Michelle Flaherty - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 4:10 pm: =
Michelle Flaherty, you just hit a home run.
- illini - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 4:33 pm:
@radicalcandor just posted a topic appropriate tweet.
- Hananalystret - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 4:52 pm:
Gov’s AV would not be Constitutional — beyond a technical matter
- Fixer - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 4:56 pm:
Bruce, eat a snickers. You start think the GA isn’t a coequal branch that can tell you where to stick your demands when you’re hungry.
- Juice - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 4:58 pm:
Hananalystret, the Supreme Court has ruled that the Governor’s AV can be more than technical.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 5:00 pm:
Could they just override his partial veto? I mean it’s possible but this is a game of chicken. The governor shouldn’t be demanding anything and he must know it’s going to backfire on the state as a whole. His perceived opponents, inability to recognize Chicago as apart of Illinois, and inflammatory “talk” comes off as a political tantrum.
- Dome Gnome - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 5:08 pm:
This is a twisted game of warfare and, yes, children are often queued up along battle lines.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 6:11 pm:
What Michelle said @4:10. Very good.
- Markus - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 6:35 pm:
Michelle Flaherty @ 4:10- Spot on.
“Bruce Rauner Failed”, Again.
- Tequila Mockingbird - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 8:51 pm:
Rauner and madigan in a dual to the death. Both die and illinois has half a chance of turning the corner.
- A guy - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 11:10 pm:
=Goldberg and Z never had these type of message foul-ups===
Yeah they did. And I liked those guys. Especially Z.
- winners and losers - Friday, Jul 21, 17 @ 6:04 am:
“We’re going to continue to hold the bill until the governor comes to his senses and sits down and negotiates with us…”
Andy Manar on SB 1, NPR, July 17, by Dusty Rhodes
- Downstate43 - Friday, Jul 21, 17 @ 10:05 am:
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 5:00 pm:
Could they just override his partial veto?
Yes, same 3/5 vote. The Dems are obviously concerned that there won’t be the same R support on this one, though I imagine there would be a few in both chambers for exactly the same reasons they overrode budget and approp. This may be a bridge too far for many of them, though, as far as political risk goes, since Rauner has framed it as another CPS bailout, which is how many downstate primary voters will see it, especially when the primary opposition will be funded by Rauner.