* After his speech to the Illinois Education Association Representative Assembly, Governor Pritzker was asked about cuts to the U.S. Department of Education.…

Pritzker: When Donald Trump, and the people that he appoints, tear down the Department of Education when they take away funding, which is their goal, from kids across this nation who deserve to be able to get a good public education. And in particular, from some of the most vulnerable people in our society. We’re talking about people who are disabled, people who need have special needs, special education. When you take away 10 to 12 percent of the funding for education across this nation, You’re damaging what we can do for our people here in the state of Illinois. Parents, students, we’re all about lifting everybody up, if the federal government is not going to be part of that truly, they are going to damage the future of the people of Illinois and the future of this nation.

Look, you’re talking about billions of dollars that they’re trying to take away. Right in the case of Illinois, be about three and a half billion dollars that they would take away. That is not something the state of Illinois can replace. and don’t forget and Becky Pringle mentioned it just a moment ago, they’re also going after Medicaid, and those are two things that kids in our public schools rely upon. The funding that comes from the federal government for education and Medicaid funding, 50 percent of the funding for Medicaid comes from the federal government.

There’s no way the state of Illinois can write a check for what will be more than $10 billion perhaps $15 billion to replace it. We’re going to have to, obviously do whatever we can on the state level if this becomes the eventuality. But what we’re doing now is standing up, speaking up, fighting back and making sure that that, if at all possible, we will keep them from damaging public education in this country. […]

Reporter: I know it’s hard at this point to talk about specifics, but can you just talk about with any more specificity about what would be on the chopping block with this funding gone or how eliminating that administrative body at the Department of Education would make your job as the governor harder.

Pritzker: Look, we’re trying to avoid that happening altogether. That’s one of the reasons you asked me about why I would use words that I use today, why I’ve been fighting this very loudly for the people of Illinois. And the answer is, because we don’t want it to happen. And we think that if we make sure not only that we’re communicating, [but] to make sure the public is hearing it, because we want the public to show up and tell their representatives what they want. We think that what Donald Trump is proposing people don’t want. Let me also point out, I said it from the stage, but our Attorney General literally has joined a suit this morning with 20 other states to fight what they’re attempting to do at the Department of Education. We are winning in the courts, just broadly. I want to point that out, that for all the suits you see filed and sometimes people wonder, are we succeeding in any way? We’re winning. Now, do we win everything all the time? No. But vast majority of those suits have been successful. Why? Because what the Trump administration is doing is unconstitutional and illegal, and so we just need the courts to validate that, verify that and then we need to make sure to actually effectuate those programs back in place.

* More on the suit the governor referenced from Reuters…

A group of Democratic state attorneys general on Thursday filed a lawsuit seeking to block Republican U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration from dismantling the U.S. Department of Education and halt it from laying off nearly half of its staff.

Attorneys general from 20 states and the District of Columbia filed the lawsuit, opens new tab in federal court in Boston after the Education Department on Tuesday announced plans to lay off more than 1,300 of its employees as part of the agency’s “final mission.” […]

The lawsuit argues that the massive job cuts will render the agency unable to perform core functions authorized by statute, including in the civil rights arena, effectively usurping Congress’s authority in violation of the U.S. Constitution.

The lawsuit argued that Secretary of Education Linda McMahon “is not permitted to eliminate or disrupt functions required by statute, nor can she transfer the department’s responsibilities to another agency outside of its statutory authorization.”

Click here to read the lawsuit.

* A reporter asked the governor if Illinois has the money to keep fighting in the courts…

Pritzker: Yes. And we will. When you talk about the billions of dollars that we could potentially lose illegally because of the illegal and unconstitutional actions of the federal government. Yeah, we’re going to keep fighting, because the cost of fighting, it is much lower than the cost of actually losing those programs.

* Governor Pritzker was also asked today about his campaign plans…

Reporter: Monday, it will be one year until the primary. Is your name going to be on that ballot? Because you’re also heading I see one more time to New Hampshire. There’s also talk of Rahm Emanuel. Could we have two Illinois politicians running for president?

Pritzker: There’s a lot mixed up in that question. I’m not sure, I think you’re asking me if I’m running for reelection, and I have not made a decision or an announcement about that as you know. [cross talk] I didn’t want to leave you out or you out, and I’ll just say, look, whatever it is that I’m doing a year from now, or whatever announcements get made over the next bunch of months, I will be in this fight. I will be in this fight. I have always been, as you know, an active participant in issues that matter to me, andthe Trump presidency is attacking virtually everything that I believe in. So whether I’m in office or I’m not in office, what office I am serving in, I will always be in this fight.

Reporter: Reading the tea leaves, that’s a little different answer than you’ve had in the past. [cross talk] It sounds like you might not be running for reelection.

Pritzker: I’m flattered to be considered that you would even mention that whether I’m running for reelection or that I’m running for some other office. I think I’ve always said that I love the job. I still love the job. It’s become harder. But I, frankly, taking on this challenge is meaningful, and so I’m in it now. I mean, whether I’m making an announcement about anything else is a different question. But I’m in this fight now, and I relish the idea that we collectively, and you heard it in this room. I mean, we can win. We can win. We just have to work together. Further to get this message out across the country.