CHICAGO - Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has signed off on education spending for the next fiscal year, easing concerns for public school districts that feared a budget impasse would delay their August aid payments.
Rauner issued a statement June 24 saying he had signed House Bill 3763 which provides appropriations for general state aid, early childhood education, bi-lingual education and the teachers' retirement system.
The bill forwarded to Rauner by the legislature provides an additional $244 million for kindergarten through 12th grade education and $25 million more for early childhood education. Rauner had sought even higher increases of $312 million and $32 million, respectively, as education was one of the few areas of state spending to escape deep cuts in his proposed $32 billion general fund budget.
"I would have done more for our schoolchildren, but I am taking action today to ensure our teachers are paid and our schools are open and funded," Rauner said in a statement, again taking aim at House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago. "I refuse to allow Speaker Madigan and the legislators he controls to hold our schools hostage as part of their plan to protect the political class and force a tax hike on the middle class without real reform."
Rauner has not acted on other pieces of the budget forwarded to him by the legislature this week. He has line item veto powers so could fashion a budget that matches his preferred spending levels. The Democratic majority ignored his budget proposal and instead passed its own $36.3 billion plan that is between $3 billion and $4 billion short of needed revenue.
The GOP governor says he will consider tax increases to offset cuts but wants lawmakers to approve worker's compensation and tort reforms, pass a local property tax freeze, and put constitutional amendments on term limits and redistricting changes on the ballot. They've refused, leaving questions over how the stalemate can be broken.
The cash-strapped Chicago Public Schools is hoping lawmakers next week approve a measure that allows it to push off a $634 million pension payment until August when it expects the state aid payment and tax receipts.
