Rauner, Madigan Still At Odds On Education Budget
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A day before state lawmakers were set to return to Springfield for another try at a stopgap budget plan, the governor and legislative leaders seemed to be sending mixed signals about the chances for a deal.
House Speaker Michael Madigan said there has been progress on an education spending proposal within bipartisan legislative working groups.
"We're moving toward a compromise, and we're supporting the bill that passed the House, because there's additional money for every school district in the state in that bill. We would hope that the governor would be a little more cooperative. We really don't need him pitting Chicago against the rest of the state," he said.
However, when Gov. Bruce Rauner met with reporters Monday, he insisted lawmakers approve his school funding bill without changes, and he opposed what he called a "bailout" for the struggling Chicago Public Schools.
"People across the state should not be held up with their tax money to go bail out Chicago Public Schools. CPS has been financially mismanaged for years and years," Rauner said.
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The governor accused Madigan of refusing to compromise on school funding, and holding out for a lot more money for CPS.
"It's a failure on the part of the mayor, it's a failure on the part of CPS leadership, and what is patently unfair is for them to try to force Illinois taxpayers – families across the state – to bail out that failure," he said.
Madigan said Rauner is holding out for his own school funding proposal.
"It doesn't help for the governor to be pitting one section of the state against another. That just doesn't help. Children are children, no matter where they live in the state," he said.
