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* Tweet from an opponent…
Take Action, protect the children who need and deserve the Illinois tax credit scholarship program!
Tell your senator to vote NO on SB2236https://t.co/ajAUke5YBH@bigshoulderschi @JoshHale_BSFCEO @ACSIUSA pic.twitter.com/jZFsKyl0Lv
— One Chance Illinois (@OneChanceIL) April 28, 2018
* Press release from the sponsor…
State Senator Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (D-Shorewood) continues to push for proper funding of Illinois’ schools.
A new bill she sponsors will continue that effort by prohibiting the diversion of public funds to scholarship tax programs in any calendar year unless the state has appropriated the $300 million in added education funding required annually by the new school funding formula.
“The state has a constitutional responsibility to fund public education, and this will do so without hurting private schools,” Bertino-Tarrant said. “The state must meet the minimum funding formula before we hand out tax credits to wealthy donors and corporations.”
Bertino-Tarrant introduced the bill in response to a 5-year tax credit scholarship pilot program which allows individuals and companies that donate to private school scholarship organizations to receive tax credits up to 75 percent of the amount donated.
Senate Bill 2236 prohibits those tax credits in any year the minimum funding level is not met. Bertino-Tarrant stressed this bill does not eliminate the Invest in Kids Act, it simply holds legislators accountable and increases transparency in the use of taxpayer dollars for rebates to wealthy donors.
“As a mother, educator and a product of Catholic schools, I am a fierce advocate of giving our children the best possible educational opportunities, but we should not be working toward weakening the infrastructure of public schools across our communities,” Bertino-Tarrant said. “This scholarship program, as it stands, is not a tax credit for working families to send their children to private schools – it is designed to incentivize donors.”
Bertino-Tarrant said the General Assembly and the public were not given enough time to consider the merits of the program before a vote last year.
“After five years of negotiations, the Invest in Kids program was rammed into the legislation at the eleventh hour without proper vetting by legislators or the public,” Bertino-Tarrant said. “There is a lack of transparency within the program that doesn’t allow the taxpayers of Illinois to know who is receiving state dollars.”
Credits awarded are capped at $1 million per taxpayer and $75 million statewide, but there is no mechanism that allows the public to see who is receiving taxpayer funded tax credits.
“I will continue to introduce this measure until our schools are properly funded as agreed on in the bipartisan school funding reform,” Bertino-Tarrant said. “Otherwise children across our state will never see an end to the rampant disparities in school resources and funding we see today.” [Emphasis added.]
As we’ve discussed before, the scholarship program has received just $41 million of the $100 million in donations authorized by state law.
* Other bills…
* Illinois working to combat election judge shortage: The Herald-Whig reports that state lawmakers are considering a proposal that would let county clerks operate polling places with three election judges instead of five. State lawmakers previously gave county clerks the ability to get help from high school students.
* Police Shooting Reviews Mandated Under Bill That Passes Illinois Senate: State Sen. Kwame Raoul introduced the legislation on April 20 following a Better Government Association/WBEZ investigation that found that in 113 police shootings in suburban Cook County, not a single suburban officer was disciplined, re-trained or fired after pulling the trigger. What’s more, there were almost no procedural reviews of the shootings to determine whether officers followed policies, general orders and best practices.
* Lawmakers push for better training for cops in schools: SB 2925 passed the Illinois Senate last week without opposition. The measure would require youth-specific training for the first time for every jurisdiction that seeks to put officers in schools. While some Illinois cities and towns require their own training, Chicago officers placed in public schools haven’t had such training mandated since 2006. (CPS also employs security guards who are subject to school-specific training standards.) “Without youth-specific training, officers will resort to what they have been trained to do on the streets: make arrests,” Michelle Mbekeani-Wiley, an attorney with the Shriver Center, told City Bureau last year.
* Raise the age to buy tobacco and vaping products
* Advocate Sherman Nurses engage Springfield lawmakers on Medicaid funding, smoking age, and Nurse Licensure Compact: Participating nurses rallied support to maintain Medicaid funding levels, raise the legal age of purchasing tobacco products from 18 to 21, and pass the Nurse Licensure Compact-legislation that would allow nurses licensed in Illinois to practice in other compact states, including Wisconsin.
* Illinois House Approves Uber & Lyft Background Check Measure
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, May 1, 18 @ 12:53 pm
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Seems making it a bar requirement for lawyers every three years might help.
Comment by OneMan Tuesday, May 1, 18 @ 12:55 pm
–As we’ve discussed before, the scholarship program has received just $41 million of the $100 million in donations authorized by state law.–
Seems the market for noblesse oblige was overestimated.
Why have none of the Usual Suspect bigfoot, big-talkers stepped forward, established scholarship funds and taken the balance? Seventy-five cents on the dollar tax credit wasn’t good enough for them?
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, May 1, 18 @ 1:01 pm
I thought this $100 million would be the salve to get in good with Blase Cardinal Cupich… you know, after purposely misleading a Catholic Cardinal on your intention to veto an abortion bill… Rauner eventuality signed… clean.
41… isn’t 100…
Another Rauner failure.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, May 1, 18 @ 1:04 pm
3 election judges?! Are u kidding me. I am an election judge in an urban precinct. While 3 might suffice in with a low low turnout, it will not at a busy one. It’s long hours sometimes 16 hours if the count is off.
Comment by Anon Tuesday, May 1, 18 @ 1:33 pm
I like OneMan’s election judge idea for lawyers, and perhaps we could broaden it to include State workers that get General Election days as a holiday. If that’s a “holiday impairment,” let those who serve get a free day at another time of the year, like the always highly productive New Year’s Eve.
I would not be in favor of a State lowering to three judges without the ability of local election authorities to override it under specified conditions.
Comment by Arthur Andersen Tuesday, May 1, 18 @ 3:53 pm