SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, issued the following statement in response to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s recent veto of Senate Bill 1, the plan to fix Illinois’ broken funding formula:

“With his veto, the governor once again showed that he does not care about the students of Illinois. The governor was on the record saying that he agreed with 90 percent of the bill, but for some reason that was not enough for him. He continues to move the goal posts and is using our students and their education as pawns in his political games.

“Senate Bill 1 was a negotiated bill between Democrats, Republicans, school administrators and education advocates. The measure was a result of years of hard work from lawmakers from across the state to ensure that all of our children have the chance of a better future.

“Funding directed under Senate Bill 1 will go to school districts with the greatest financial need, including Chicago Public Schools, rural downstate school districts and schools right here in our community. The new formula ensures that school funding is distributed equitably, instead of sending money to wealthy school districts at the expense of others.

“To be able to move forward, Governor Rauner’s campaigning needs to end. He needs to stop pitting school districts from different regions of the state against each other. Most importantly, the governor needs to actually sit down with legislators to find a way to end this new crisis he has created. We deserve to have a governor who is willing to do the job he was elected to do.

“The reckless and short-sighted veto is not the end of our work. I am committed to working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass a fair funding formula that helps guarantee that all students, regardless of zip code, have access to best education possible.”