House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch promised the Chicago Teachers Union last week that he will “lead” the effort to send more state money to Chicago Public Schools during the upcoming fall veto session.
Welch made his pledge in a CTU-posted video Wednesday while holding a union poster blasting proposed CPS layoffs and budget cuts. “The state of Illinois underfunds Chicago schools by $2 billion,” the poster proclaimed.
“This should not be happening,” Welch said, gesturing toward the sign focusing on layoffs. “I do think that the state of Illinois can do better, should do better. This should be, and I’m going to keep fighting for you, so that we can get more revenue to get to CPS schools … I will lead that effort in the veto session.”
Welch, of course, has been under fire for weeks because, among other things, he waited almost three years after then-Rep. Harry Benton, D-Plainfield, was accused of sexual harassment to take any sort of action. He’s also faced heat for inappropriate personal interactions with the alleged victim. He obviously needs allies.
But any tax hike and/or supplemental appropriations bills with immediate effective dates would require three-fifths votes in both chambers during veto session — making Welch’s pledge ring more than a little hollow and setting off alarm bells among some of his members.
“Getting flashbacks of the Madigan experience where the speaker stops saying no to everyone to desperately keep his job,” one suburban House member who asked for anonymity told me.
Indeed, when Michael Madigan was under fire, he regularly agreed to put his weight behind legislation favored by groups of members, which directly led to things like hundreds of millions of dollars in state-paid healthcare for undocumented immigrants.
“I think his idea is laughable,” said one exurban House Democrat when contacted by my associate Isabel Miller.
“How is a vote that excludes every suburban district that is having to make hard choices good for the caucus?” a suburban Democrat asked.
Not all suburbanites were so negative. Progressive Rep. Dagmara Avelar, D-Bolingbrook, told Isabel, “I am in support of making sure all our schools in need are funded, and I’m looking forward to actively discuss the resources needed to tackle this issue during veto.”
Welch’s people and some of his allies have been privately putting pressure on skeptical members to stay quiet during this Benton-related uproar, and according to sources, give Welch time to “let this all blow over.”
Welch did not consult with his caucus before making his CTU pledge, and some see it as temporarily benefiting himself while setting up his members to look bad this fall when his unilateral promise can’t be kept. Never show weakness.
And how hard can Welch push members to help him fulfill this new pledge while also pressuring members to stay in line on the questions that continue to swirl around him?
The day after Welch made that commitment to the CTU, the CPS Board voted to pass a budget that relies on the state increasing funding by $150 million in the next few months. The CTU supported the vote.
But as I told you above, Welch did not seek buy-in from his caucus before making the pledge, and finding a three-fifths super-majority to spend even $150 million that the state doesn’t currently have to bail out Chicago doesn’t seem possible. Besides the obvious regional rivalries, and the fact that CPS put itself into this position by using temporary pandemic money for its permanent base spending, lots of legislators were disappointed in May with the appropriated funding for their cherished programs.
So, if the CTU wants to increase revenue, then it’s gonna be a whole lot more than $150 million. And then they’d have to find 71 votes in the House and 36 in the Senate to pay for it.
The CTU is now proclaiming that they have triangulated Gov. JB Pritzker because they have both Welch and Illinois Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, on their side. But Harmon did not go nearly as far as Welch, merely committing to working with them on finding revenue.
Nevertheless, the union sent an email to members after the vote claiming that Pritzker “has been in office for eight years and owes the state’s students $6.4 billion dollars from pre-K to Ph.D.”
In his attempt to secure the support of a powerful ally while he’s under fire over the Benton debacle, Welch may have inadvertently tossed the governor under the bus.
The next day, Pritzker turned the tables by saying he was waiting to see Welch’s plan.
* Also, if you’re wondering why so many people are staying silent or refusing to speak on the record…
- JustMe - Monday, Aug 3, 26 @ 9:19 am:
I am surprised that pundits and commenters here don’t distinguish between Madigan and Welch when it comes to “me too.” No one ever suggested that Madigan abused his power vis-a-vis women relative to sexuality — he was far too prim for that. Welch is another story altogether.