* From the governor’s press conference today…
Q: The CTU and some members of the CPS board have called for a special session for funding. We’ve all chatted about the idea of a special session for Trump funding. And now we’re a significant way through of the summer, the tax bill has passed. Do you see us returning to Springfield for another legislative session before October? And can I get you to react at some point on the CTU’s call to come back?
Pritzker: I can’t tell you definitively. There’s a lot of time between now and October when the veto session will occur. But at the moment, I don’t see any reason why we would have a special session. Having said that, like I said, I mean, every day is different. We may have to deal with something sooner.
Let me say also that the dollars that the Trump administration have taken away from education. First, it’s a shame what they what they are doing. I mean, it is shameful, and it is not something that we can fill the, you know, we can’t backfill what the Trump administration has done to health care and education. We just can’t. We don’t print money here. We don’t have a multi trillion dollar budget in the state of Illinois. There’s no state in the United States that can backfill what the Trump administration is now taking away. And just to remind you what’s the purpose of all of that, why are they doing that? Because they want to give tax breaks to literally the wealthiest people in the country, some of whom are the wealthiest people in the world. And it is the folks who are sending their kids to public schools, it’s folks who are just trying to make ends meet who need those dollars. Our education system needs those dollars. Medicaid needs those dollars, and not Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.
Please pardon all transcription errors.
- NIU Grad - Wednesday, Jul 23, 25 @ 3:30 pm:
CTU wants a special session not to deal with the Trump administration’s impact on vulnerable populations throughout the entire state. They want a special session just for their funding requests.
- Excessively Rabid - Wednesday, Jul 23, 25 @ 3:38 pm:
The CTU and the transit people need to wake up and realize that nobody’s going to fix their problems for them. Federal funds are being cut to provide tax cuts. The state is tight up against it. And new state revenue is not something anyone is interested in doing at this point. Nobody has the money to solve your problems. Do better.
- Terry Deering RIP - Wednesday, Jul 23, 25 @ 3:40 pm:
State Senator Mike Simmons called for a special session. Wouldn’t that interfere with his campaign for Congress?
- Not Your TIme - Wednesday, Jul 23, 25 @ 3:44 pm:
CTU is so funny. The mayor and crew knew what was coming. Why was the mayor so hyper focused on the Bears? Where is the former state senator turned chief of staff? CTU’s points might be valid but its hard to take them seriously when their whole operation is being so poorly ran past the midway point.
- Beans Matter - Wednesday, Jul 23, 25 @ 3:48 pm:
Pritzker is funny too…
Trump’s Education funding proposals/cuts have nothing to to do with the current CPS/CTU financial disaster.
- Rahm’s Parking Meter - Wednesday, Jul 23, 25 @ 4:18 pm:
The suburbs have a message for CTU - NO.
Fix my transit before anything else.
And don’t tax your way to everything.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Jul 23, 25 @ 4:56 pm:
@Beans Matter- the cut (and it is already a large cut) in federal funds didn’t create CPS/CTU’s problems but they are absolutely making them worse. COS gets a huge amount of title money every year.
- thechampaignlife - Wednesday, Jul 23, 25 @ 5:08 pm:
If I understand how the federal school choice tax credit works, states need to opt-in to participate, the governor gets to pick approved scholarship granting organizations (SGOs), public school can receive the scholarships, tax credits are dollar-for-dollar up to $1700, and this is funded entirely by the feds via the tax credit.
If so, it seems that Illinois should opt-in, Pritzker should pick SGOs that only provide scholarships to public schools, and public schools should encourage everyone who can to contribute. That would inject new federal money into the public schools at no cost to the state and no net cost to donors (albeit a temporary cashflow affect).
- Steve - Wednesday, Jul 23, 25 @ 5:31 pm:
JB gives a luke warm answer. No, but it could be yes. I doubt there will be a special session to cut spending.
- Bob - Wednesday, Jul 23, 25 @ 11:04 pm:
==State Senator Mike Simmons called for a special session.==
Good for him.