- Published: Sunday, August 13, 2017 10:09 PM
The Rauner plan is smoke and mirrors; schools lose in out years
SPRINGFIELD – Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill), the chief Senate sponsor of Senate Bill 1, school funding reform legislation, issued the following statement ahead of today’s (Sunday, Aug. 13) expected vote in the Illinois Senate to override the governor’s veto of the measure:
“Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have continued to work toward a compromise since Gov. Rauner took the short-sighted step of vetoing Senate Bill 1 and attaching provisions that would make collateral damage of hundreds of central and southern Illinois school districts.
“Make no mistake: All of his talk about schools getting more money initially under his ‘education plan’ is little more than smoke and mirrors. The Rauner plan will devastate school districts and communities throughout the state going forward, even though Senate Bill 1 offers fair, adequate and stable long-term funding for all schools.
“Today, the governor still has the opportunity to show real leadership by engaging with lawmakers to reach a bipartisan compromise on this legislation. Doing so will enable him to be a part of a meaningful, historic reform effort in Illinois, rather than someone who was relegated to the sidelines.”