Gov sees ‘bad things’ in school deal—some Dems fear ‘right-wing plot’

Gov. Bruce Rauner told Downstate business leaders on Friday that legislators are “very close to a final deal” on education funding reform — but he blasted Speaker Mike Madigan for putting “a bunch of bad things” in the bill — including “money that shouldn’t go to Chicago.”

On the other side of the aisle, some progressive Democrats denounced a $75 million tax credit program the governor supports for private school tuition. Some even dubbed it an “insidious right-wing plot” that warrants scrapping the whole deal — which largely benefits Chicago Public Schools and other districts educating mostly poor children.

Rauner’s tone Friday U-turned from his Thursday statement in which he applauded the legislative leaders and said he looked forward to seeing the deal passed in both chambers.

“It’s not fair, but it’s going to end up being a compromise,” Rauner told the Marion Chamber of Commerce on Friday. “It’s not where we’d like it to be, but what I’ll try to do is fix the problems with it in subsequent legislation.”

The governor did not go into specifics as to what those changes might entail in his speech in southern Illinois, but he blamed Madigan for inserting language “to assist Chicago and its financial crisis,” and divert money “that shouldn’t go to Chicago.”

“I think we’re on the verge of what is largely good education funding reform,” the governor said. “Bad news is Speaker Madigan’s caucus took the bill, inserted a bunch of bad things in it, we’re trying to get out as many of those as we can.”

Madigan spokesman Steve Brown declined to comment on the governor’s call for another bill, but remained optimistic that the deal could be finalized, saying “There’s no reason to believe anything has changed.”

Leaders plan to meet in Springfield at 4:30 p.m. Sunday; the House convenes at 11 a.m. Monday to potentially vote on the school funding measure. Should the House pass what’s presented, the Senate is poised to take quick action.

Legislators were briefed Friday on the long-awaited reforms to the school funding formula designed to bolster the state’s poorest districts without taking money away from the rest.

But Chicago Democratic Rep. Will Guzzardi, who backed the proposed formula, urged his colleagues to oppose the whole deal because of the private school scholarship provision.

“Giving rich people a huge tax loophole for driving students out of public schools and into private schools goes against my most deeply held beliefs and the needs of our communities,” he said. “There are a lot of critically needed components in this package. But I’m not willing to swallow this insidious right-wing plot in exchange.”

Part of the long-sought public school funding deal now includes $75 million in tax credits for donors who give for school scholarships. The addition of private school benefits in a public school funding bill is highly unusual and came about relatively late in the game, thanks to the intercession of Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich.

Meanwhile, districts statewide have scrambled to find or borrow to replace general state aid due on Aug. 10 and 20. And CPS still has no budget. The Board of Education will vote on a proposed $5.7 billion “framework” Monday, eight days before students return.

State. Sen. Daniel Biss, who’s vying for the Democrats’ nomination to run against Rauner, blasted the tuition tax credit, but stopped short of opposing the whole deal.

“It is absurd that, in order to fund public schools, Governor Rauner and his allies are demanding a tax credit scheme that will just put more money in the pockets of millionaires and billionaires,” the Evanston Democrat said.

The program, he continued, “doesn’t help create a more equitable education system — it’s a false choice. … What we need is equitable school funding for all Illinois students, not more money in the pockets of people like Bruce Rauner and J.B. Pritzker,” the wealthiest of Biss’ Democratic rivals.

Even some City Council members want the deal scrapped, though it’s generous to CPS.

“No self-respecting Democrat should accept this brazen Rauner-Trump-DeVos tactic to decimate public schools, rob our children’s classrooms of resources and weaken teachers’ unions,” chairman Ald. Scott Waguespack wrote in a statement, referring to President Donald Trump and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. “Democrats in Springfield and Mayor Emanuel must unite to reject this unacceptable proposal, and force the parties to get back to the table to negotiate a new deal.”

By telephone he said using tax money for scholarships would “further ruin our schools and rob the classrooms of all these resources we’ve been fighting for” while CPS has to borrow to make ends meet.

“It’s really hard to see from our perspective why they would even open that door,” he said.