“The bottom line is we do need a fiscally responsible budget but we do also need a socially responsible budget I think the fact that our university systems are nearly crumbling our community colleges are suffering along with all the social services is just shame full we need to concentrate on a responsible budget”, said Kifowit.
Advertisement
Now the stop gap measure and other funding came in the form of five separate bills and Gov. Bruce Rauner has already signed those bills. He says there were no “profiles in courage” on Thursday. Charles, and Dan McConchie, R-Hawthorn Woods – joined a unanimous Senate vote to approve the stopgap budget.
“We’re happy that the Governor and the General Assembly agreed on something and we can move forward”, Bobkiewicz said. Republicans did not get everything that they wanted, Democrats did not get everything that they wanted.
Democrats said the deal will provide big benefits for Chicago.
Illinois Republican senators say lawmakers are nearing an agreement on a six-month budget plan and a full-year’s funding for public schools.
Had these bills not been approved, local school districts would have been hard pressed to keep their doors open during the 2016-17 school year.
It will provide a 12-month budget for public schools across IL, but only six months of revenue for state departments. The rest will be spread out among downstate districts according to their low-income student populations.
Senate Democrats and Republican leaders filed competing plans Tuesday aimed at keeping schools open this fall. The House approved it 105-4.
The stopgap budget includes money for universities, social services, prisons and other programs.
It took lawmakers two days of closed-door negotiations to hammer out the plan-well, two days plus a year-and-a-half of rancorous gridlock. The district, which has a huge budget deficit, had faced a reduction of state aid under the current school funding formula.
Franks and McSweeney voted against the CPS bills as well.
Both parties agree IL voters are angry that the budget battle resulted in the shuttering of some rape crisis centers, meals for seniors programs and slow or nonpayments to thousands of small businesses. But they also called for changes in the way the state distributes money to schools, something they’ve both been advocating for several years, although with different approaches. Other parts of the deal include extending the internet lottery one year and a 1-year ban on legislative & executive pay raises.
It was the first bona fide negotiating session since tempers flared May 31, when Rauner said Democrats were spending the state “into a toilet” and turning IL into a “banana republic”. But none of the spokespersons for the governor and legislative leaders were willing to go so far on Wednesday night.
Illinois Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, D-Chicago, speaks to lawmakers while on the House floor during session at the Illinois State Capitol Thursday, June 30, 2016, in Springfield, Ill. It will also fund billions of dollars to the state to keep critical services open.
Advertisement
The major sticking point for lawmakers returning to Springfield this week has been how much to increase money for elementary education, particularly CPS. The deal would bring certainty to schools and relief to cash-strapped colleges and social service providers. They say that anger during the November elections could make the Legislature more focused on passing a full budget in January.
