Governor Bruce Rauner visited a vocational school in Peoria Tuesday to tout his plans to improve Illinois schools. Rauner’s ideas include funneling more state money to public schools and eliminating unfunded state mandates. Rauner was speaking in a school district where the majority of students are low income.
When the governor was asked how a lack of funding for community colleges and MAP grants may inhibit students from continuing their education, he said Republicans want another way to pay for them. Rauner wants freedom to cut the budget, and calls for looser procurement rules.
“Speaker Madigan and his legislator have said no, ‘no reforms, let’s just spend money for MAP Grants, even though we don’t have it.’ So we’re more into debt and we have to force a massive tax hike.”
Rauner says he will veto any standalone bill to restore funding to MAP grants because otherwise quote “the state would go bankrupt.” Community Colleges and MAP grants haven’t received state funding since July 1.
Meanwhile, an hour-long press conference was held Tuesday on the Eastern Illinois University campus to highlight the effects of the state’s budget impasse. The mayors of Charleston and Mattoon spoke during the press conference, as did State Representative Reggie Phillips of Charleston and State Senator Dale Righter of Mattoon, both Republicans.
Phillips advocated for legislation that would provide $160 million of emergency funding for state universities for the current fiscal year. EIU announced the layoff of 177 civil service workers earlier this month. University officials say other non-faculty employees will take furlough days starting March first if EIU is still without state funding.