D’Amico Calls on Governor to Stop Political Posturing, Negotiate on School Funding Reform

CHICAGO – In response to Governor Rauner’s veto of Senate Bill 1 and ongoing negotiation on education funding reform, state Rep. John D’Amico, D-Chicago, released the following statement:

“The governor’s decision to veto Senate Bill 1 robs resources from Chicago Public School students in an effort to cynically funnel them to the wealthiest communities in the state. His plan picks winners and losers, and it’s clear that the beneficiaries will be his wealthy friends, not our children.

“He has untruthfully characterized our proposal as a ‘Chicago bailout’, a claim which has been deemed false by the non-partisan, fact-checking group, Politifact. It’s unconscionable that the governor is using political spin and mistruths to prevent schools across the state from receiving funding.

“The fact is, the legislation that we put on the governor’s desk provided a long-term guarantee of funding and quality educational opportunities for children in Chicago and across the state.

“As we move forward, I will continue to negotiate with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to adopt a funding formula that is fair for Chicago Public Schools and will refuse to give in to the governor’s demands that double-down on the status-quo and only serve the wealthiest communities in the state.”