SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Senate on Sunday voted to override Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner's rewrite of a measure that would change how state education money is doled out.
The 38-19 vote saw one Republican join the Senate's 37 Democrats. The bill now heads to the House, where an override is less certain.
Without a new education funding system in place, the state is unable to send money to school districts. Schools are expected to open on time, but the pressure is on lawmakers to act before districts have to slash programs, cut hours or shut down in the coming months.
"Is that really the legacy we want to have during our tenure as legislators? That we shut down the education system? I don't want to have that on my shoulders. I don't want to go to sleep with that on my heart," Democratic Sen. Kimberly Lightford of Maywood said during debate.
Before the Senate vote, Rauner tried to frame up the issue for lawmakers.
"When senators walk into the chamber today they have a choice, are they going to vote to give their school districts more money, or are they going to vote to give the bailout to the city of Chicago?" Rauner said at a Sunday news conference.
His amendatory veto represented a substantial rewrite of the bill lawmakers approved in late May but didn't send him for two months. CPS would get $463 million less in state money this year compared to the Democrat-approved version, according to an analysis the Rauner administration released late Saturday afternoon. Rauner also made other sweeping changes that could result in some districts with declining enrollments losing money in coming years.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel issued a statement after the Senate vote saying Rauner's veto had "brought together rural, suburban and urban educators and legislators."
"The Senate's vote is a bipartisan rejection of the governor's divisive politics and of his repeated attempts to pit children with different backgrounds and from different parts of the state against one another," Emanuel's statement read in part.
On Sunday, Rauner called on lawmakers to vote to approve his changes. Failing that, they should come forward with specific ideas for a new proposal, the governor said.
Rauner also dismissed the notion that Democrats might pass a follow-up bill with provisions that the governor favors, saying he hasn't seen such a measure and contending that didn't sound like compromise.
During debate, Republicans echoed the governor's comments, calling for further negotiations to try to reach agreement and remove uncertainty for students, parents and teachers.
"All we are asking for is that the city of Chicago's public schools be treated no better," said Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon.
But Sen. Andy Manar, a Democrat from Bunker Hill who sponsored the bill, called Rauner's changes "trickery."
"Over the years, there have been various reasons as to why we haven't been able to fix this problem, this veto isn't going to be one of those reasons this time," Manar said.
Democrats countered that Rauner's changes were attempting to pit different parts of the state against one another.
"When are we going to work as a collaborative body to make ensure that all of our children are the recipients of the goods that this state has?" said Sen. Donne Trotter, D-Chicago.
The House gets the next crack at overturning the governor. It'll take 71 votes, but there are just 67 House Democrats, meaning some Republicans would have to buck their governor. The House is back in session Wednesday, but has a 15-day window to take up the bill following Sunday's Senate vote.
If the override fails, lawmakers would be left to negotiate a new plan as schools wait for funding.
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