BELLEVILLE, Ill. –State Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, and state Reps. Jay Hoffman, D-Belleville and LaToya Greenwood, D-East St. Louis, joined local school superintendents and community leaders to discuss the devastating consequences that the governor’s veto of education funding reform would have on schools in the Metro-East.

“The governor’s amendatory veto doubles-down on the inequitable, unfair funding formula that has shortchanged downstate schools for years,” Hoffman said. “Under the governor’s proposal the wealthiest communities in the state continue to game the system while districts downstate lose even more resources. Senate Bill 1 fixes our broken system and provides $18 million in additional funds to Metro-East schools.”

“It is critically important that the funding formula we adopt will bring needed resources to our community now and moving forward,” Greenwood said. “This is a choice between a thoughtful, bipartisan plan backed by school leaders across the state, and a rushed together, irresponsible proposal from the governor that would massively hurt downstate districts and increase the burden on local taxpayers. We simply cannot allow personal politics to dictate the choices we make for the future of our children.”

Senate Bill 1, which creates an equitable school funding plan, would have fixed the state’s broken education funding system and ensured that every school in Illinois saw increased funding. Despite his agreement with 90 percent of the legislation, Gov. Rauner issued an amendatory veto of the legislation.

Manar noted that Rauner’s introduced changes to Senate Bill 1 would punish schools for enrollment declines, thwart local economic development efforts and bar school districts from claiming voter-approved tax cap adjustments. These provisions unfairly harm downstate Illinois’ least-funded schools the most, including many here in this region.

“We’re going to get this done one way or another for the students and educators of Illinois. They’re counting on us to get it right after 20 years of trying to work with a broken school funding formula,” Manar said. “The first step toward the end of this conversation begins Sunday in the state Senate.”

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – State Rep. Mike Halpin, D-Rock Island, joined by local school superintendents and education advocates in Illinois detailed the devastating effects that Gov. Rauner’s veto of education funding would have on education in Illinois, including the loss of funding for schools in Rock Island County.

“For the first time in two decades, legislators and education advocates have come together on legislation that provides every student the chance at a fair, equal education,” Halpin said. “Gov. Rauner’s veto of Senate Bill 1 destroys our path toward equality by taking away money from school districts that are already struggling and removing any promise of higher funding for our schools.”

Senate Bill 1, which creates an equitable school funding plan, would have fixed the state’s broken education funding system, and ensured that every school in Illinois saw increased funding. Despite his agreement with 90 percent of the legislation, Gov. Rauner issued an amendatory veto of the legislation.

“The amendatory veto would have damaging effects on schools in Illinois, including our school district,” said East Moline Superintendent Kristin Humphries. “Under the veto, school districts across Illinois would face operating with less amounts of money, which not only puts schools in a bad position, but also our students.”

Rauner’s introduced changes to Senate Bill 1 would punish schools for enrollment declines, thwart local economic development efforts and bar school districts from claiming voter-approved tax cap adjustments. These provisions unfairly harm downstate Illinois’ least-funded schools the most, including many here in central Illinois.

“The governor’s proposal not only puts a stop to our progress towards much needed education reform, but also blows a whole in the balanced budget passed in July,” Halpin said. “Governor Rauner’s plan creates $221 million more in spending without any plan for how to pay for it while shifting more of the cost burden onto local governments. The governor’s veto also removes protections that schools districts would continue to receive more money, which would result in funding losses for already struggling districts.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Camille Lilly, D-Chicago, issued the following statement in response to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of Senate Bill 1, a measure to ensure equitable funding for public education and increase resources to local schools, and the lay-off of nearly 1,000 Chicago Public School (CPS) employees:

“Since I came to Springfield, fully funding education has been my number one priority. It is extremely important to invest in our children and youth, and Senate Bill 1 creates a fair and equitable funding formula for schools throughout the state. Once again, the governor is not putting people first. First, he vetoed a bipartisan budget that funds life-saving services for survivors of domestic violence, children and people with disabilities, and now he refuses to agree on an equitable school funding formula. His lack of unwillingness to negotiate on this vital measure has forced the largest school district in the state to lay-off nearly 1,000 people.

“The governor’s insistence on not putting people first because of where they are from is a clear demonstration that he is more concerned about what he wants than governing. I will continue working to ensure funding for our schools and, most importantly, our students because every student across Illinois deserves an equitable education, regardless of their zip-code.”

Lilly represents the 78th District, which includes parts of Chicago, Oak Park, Elmwood Park, River Grove, Franklin Park, and Melrose Park

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.”

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.”

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – State Rep. LaToya Greenwood, D-East St. Louis, issued the following statement in response to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of fair funding for public schools:

“I am appalled by the Governor’s decision to veto Senate Bill 1 and put his political agenda above equitable funding for our school children. Under this evidence based model, all school districts receive more state funding, but the Governor would rather create another crisis in Illinois by using our most vulnerable school districts as leverage in his political games.

“Governor Rauner wants to strip away much needed resources from schools in areas that are already struggling and redirect those resources to wealthy school districts. His changes would remove protections that require the state to continue to invest in struggling school districts.

“I will not stand by and watch the Governor attempt to deprive our school districts that are most in need. I am ready and willing to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure our schools open on time and with the equitable funding that all students in our state deserve.

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – State Rep. Mike Halpin, D-Rock Island, issued the following statement after Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed education funding reform that would have provided more than $5 million in additional funding for local schools:

“For too long, Illinois has been too heavily reliant on local property taxes to fund our schools. As a result, we have seen a significant difference between the quality of schools in wealthy neighborhood and the quality of those that are not. It is plain wrong that wealthy students receive a better education than those that are in need, and this bill goes a long way to end this fundamental unfairness. The reforms the governor vetoed would have gone a long way to addressing this challenge, but the governor chose politics over our students.

“Parents, students and teachers deserve to know that their schools will open on time and stay open. The governor has acted recklessly in deciding to prioritize political rhetoric over our children.

“There is too much at stake to continuously create political crises instead of working to create compromise. I remain committed to working to bring Republicans and Democrats together to provide our schools with more resources and make sure their doors stay open.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez, D-Cicero, issued the following statement after Governor Rauner vetoed an education funding reform plan that would have implemented a data driven school funding formula based on student need:

“Students in my district, like so many across the state of Illinois, have long suffered the consequences of a broken system that discriminates against poorer communities. And today, with the stroke of a pen, Governor Rauner said no to expanding opportunity to all children. Our education funding reform plan, would have closed the funding gaps between school districts, and provided all students with a foundation for a strong future. Our children deserve better, and Governor Rauner failed them. So I will continue working and doing whatever it takes to ensure that all children have access to a quality education, regardless of where they live.”

State Rep. Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez is a member of the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus and represents the 24th District, which includes Cicero, Little Village, Berwyn, Brookfield, Riverside, and Stickney.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Marty Moylan, D-Des Plaines, issued the following statement in response to Governor Bruce Rauner’s veto of Senate Bill 1, a measure to ensure equitable funding for public education and to increase resources to local schools:

“Governor Rauner’s reckless decision to veto education funding reform is now jeopardizing the education of our children. Once again, the governor has failed to do his job and is putting our state’s most vulnerable residents at risk to advance his extreme right-wing agenda.

“The bipartisan education funding reform measure I supported guaranteed that not a single school district would lose funding and many local schools would gain under the plan. The governor’s veto now puts at risk education funding for every single school district in the state.

“Rather than work in good faith on improving our children’s education, Governor Rauner has again chosen to create a crisis. I am prepared to work with all sides to do what is necessary to prevent the governor’s education crisis from spiraling out of control and take steps to ensure our schools open on time with the resources they need.”

CHICAGO – In response to Governor Rauner’s veto of education funding reform, Senate Bill 1, state Rep. Jaime Andrade, D-Chicago, released the following statement:

“I am extremely disappointed with the governor’s decision to veto this proposal that would have increased funding and improved educational opportunity for every child in Illinois. Governor Rauner is more inclined to engage in partisan politics and put schools at risk of not opening than supporting a bipartisan reform package that contains 90 percent of his demands.

“The governor has turned the debate on Senate Bill 1 into a political tool, pitting one region of the state against another. He has declared the bill a “Chicago bailout”, a claim which has been debunked as false by the non-partisan, fact-checking group Politifact.

“The governor’s knee-jerk veto jeopardizes the education of every student in the state. Furthermore, Governor Rauner did not seem to realize the consequences of his veto. He claimed falsely, once again, that a simply majority would be required to adopt his veto when in reality a supermajority would be required.

“As the governor continues to fail to lead and even grasp the basics of the legislative process, I will continue to negotiate with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to reach a compromise that will give schools the resources they need to open on time.”