Chicago Mayor Urges Override On School Funding Veto

Chicago Mayor Urges Override On School Funding Veto

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Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is calling on state lawmakers to override Gov. Bruce Rauner’s partial veto of a school funding bill.

The governor and Democratic legislative leaders are locked in a showdown that puts public schools in jeopardy of getting almost no education money from the state before school starts in the fall.

Emanuel says lawmakers’ loyalties ought to be with school children in their home districts, not the governor.

“He is governing through anger,” Emanuel said Wednesday. “It’s a mistake to govern through anger when there’s a consensus and even you yourself agree with 90 percent of what’s in there.”

The governor doesn’t agree with how much money the education funding bill allocates to Chicago schools, in particular for teacher pensions.

“Gov. Rauner has to do what’s in the best interest for the entire state, not just one district,” said Rauner spokeswoman Laurel Patrick. “Under the amendatory veto, Chicago Public Schools is going to receive millions dollars more than it would under the existing school funding formula.”

But it remains unclear exactly how much money the city’s schools would get under Rauner’s partial veto. The district has not yet said how large the deficit for the coming school year is.

A veto override would require 36 votes in the Senate and 71 votes in the House.

Emanuel insists whatever happens, students will be in school on day one for “a full school day and a full school year.”