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Mayor Emanuel Doubts Governor Rauner's CPS Pension Relief Proposal

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Mayor Emanuel is expressing doubts about Governor Rauner's latest proposal for pension relief for the Chicago Public Schools.

State Education Secretary Beth Purvis said a Republican-sponsored bill would give CPS $215 million for teacher pensions. But it would also change the pension system. WBBM's Political Editor Craig Dellimore has that story from City Hall.

"CEO Claypool, Mayor Emanuel have all been calling for a bill that will bring immediate resolution to the budget crisis at the Chicago Public Schools and we believe this does that," Purvis said.

Mayor Emanuel compliments the Governor for recognizing the pension inequity, but stops short of endorsing the plan.

"What is challenging, and I want to look at it in a complete sense, is what I think, if I am not mistaken, it is only one-year pension funding, while the pension reform is permanent," Emanuel said. "That to me does not sound like a full agreement."

Mayor Emanuel said it seems to him that the plan the Governor supports would give the Chicago Public schools $215 million in pension relief for one year, but pension reform the governor wants is permanent. Not the agreement, he said.

But State Education Secretary Beth Purvis suggests it is what was agreed last year. She says there was a stopgap compromise.

"It is a bill that was discussed, the proponents of this bill were discussed last year were part of the stopgap compromise."

The Mayor said the first step to pension stability would be for the Governor to sign the City Laborers and Municipal Employees pension legislation on his desk.

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