Senate to return Sunday in advance of school funding veto override try
With the state on the path to blowing a Thursday deadline to deliver funds to schools across Illinois, the state Senate is bringing lawmakers back to Springfield on Sunday in an effort to override Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of an education funding measure.
Although senators will be in session Sunday, it’s unclear when the override vote will take place. Legislators are in Springfield next week for Illinois State Fair events. Lawmakers, too, are engaged in bipartisan negotiations with the hope that additional legislation will be filed to complement the override in order to gain Republican support.
“We’ve been told to be back on Sunday,” state Sen. Heather Steans, D- Chicago, said.
The Senate has until Aug. 16 to try for the override. Rauner issued his amendatory veto on Aug. 1.
If the Senate succeeds in overriding the governor’s veto, the Illinois House will then have 15 days to act on it. If the Senate fails to override, they can try again since it is a renewable motion.
School districts across the state would have received a general state aid payment on Thursday, but the school funding bill has held up that payment. Democrats in July tied the release of state funds for schools to the passage of an “evidence- based” school bill in budget bills passed in July. With the impasse over and some money flowing, districts are still expecting payments — the state still owes them for the school year that just ended.
Speaking at a bill signing on Tuesdaymorning in Chicago, Rauner said he received Illinois State Board of Education numbers on Monday and that his staff was meeting with the board on Tuesday. He urged that the information get out to the public as soon as possible.
The governor has contended that his veto would put every district on better footing, including Chicago Public Schools.
But the governor’s veto would reduce the amount of money going to CPS under the original bill. Rauner has called the school funding measure a “Chicago bailout” because it would give the district $ 221 million for teacher pensions while also counting its payments for legacy pension costs. The veto also removed a $ 200 million block grant CPS receives.
Distribution of the highly anticipated analysis of the amendatory veto was delayed on Tuesday — with the state Board of Education contending that the Illinois Department of Revenue reported a “significant error” regarding tax increment financing data.
The error could signal a huge discrepancy in the formula. In both the original measure and the veto, the value of property in the district would play a role in howmuch money school districts get.
The Senate measure offers up a credit to school districts that have access to TIFs — it’s used as part of the formula. But the amendatory veto wipes that out. Critics of the veto contend TIF districts would look wealthier than they actually are. A hold harmless provision would ensure districts don’t lose any money that they already get, but it could mean they’re in line to get less money from an increase in school funding.