Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner delivered his State of the State Address today. Illinois labor leaders are reacting strongly to Rauner's continued calls for changes that would weaken unions.
In a statement Wednesday, a coalition of unions said Rauner ``has been an unmitigated disaster for the working people and most vulnerable citizens of Illinois.''
The Republican governor pushed in his State of the State speech Wednesday for many of the same pro-business ideas he's been stressing for the past year.
He also said Illinois' largest public-worker union is pushing in contract negotiations for compensation he describes as ``out-of-touch with reality.''
Democrats and their union allies have said Rauner's agenda would drive down wages and hurt the middle class. Because of the disagreement, lawmakers have been unable to agree on a budget for the fiscal year that started July 1.
In his State of the State Address, Republican Governor Bruce Rauner says he wants to work closely with the Democratic Senate President John Cullerton to improve how Illinois funds local schools. Cullerton says the current state formula fails to go far enough to help schools in low income areas:
"We really want to push this. This is something that's not just for Chicago. In fact, it eliminates some special benefits that Chicago is getting right now. It would be one formula for the whole state. It would be driving money to the areas where there is a concentration of poverty," Cullerton said.
Cullerton says he's open to crafting a plan where no district loses money. But he points out that will cost more.
Governor Rauner pledged to work with the Senate President to increase support for education, including
more money for rural and low-income districts. But he avoided talk of overhauling the school funding formula, which relies heavily on property taxes.
Lawmaker Reaction
State Representative Bob Pritchard compares the Governor’s approach with that of State Senator Andy Manar. Manar, a Democrat, wants to direct more money to districts with lower property values, and give less to wealthier districts. But Pritchard, a Republican, says Rauner has the right idea about not taking money away from anyone.
"Increase funding and channeling that funding into the areas of poorer school districts, and districts that have a concentration of poverty. And that’s where I think there could be agreement.”
Pritchard says he expects to hear specifics about education funding during the Governor's budget address next month.
State Rep. Litesa Wallace, D-Rockford, issued the following statement Wednesday following Governor Bruce Rauner’s State of the State Address:
“It’s clear from today’s address that the governor still does not have a plan to work in a bi-partisan fashion to craft a responsible budget. The state of Illinois is not in good shape, and while we have social service agencies closing their doors, students not returning to their college campuses and seniors being forced into institutionalized care, our governor is focused on slashing the wages of middle class families.
“Thousands of Illinois families are depending on state leaders to reach a compromise and deliver the services they depend on. The governor let them down today, and instead continued to advocate for his extreme agenda that will force hard-working families into poorer living conditions and allow programs for our most vulnerable residents to go unfunded.
“I stand ready and willing to work with the governor to find a solution and craft a responsible budget that cuts government waste while protecting critical programs. We have programs such as Adult Redeploy and breast and cervical cancer screenings for low-income women that are going unfunded because the governor refuses to back down from his anti-middle class agenda. This budget impasse is endangering lives and it’s time that we work together to develop a plan that protects our most vulnerable from devastating cuts.”
Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) responded to Governor Bruce Rauner’s State of the State address in a statement issued Wednesday:
“In today’s address, Governor Rauner once again presented a false choice between raising taxes and weakening unions to solve Illinois’ fiscal crisis. Yet the Governor fails to recognize a critical component of Illinois’ struggle: the Payer State problem,” said Foster. “Every year, tens of billions of dollars leave Illinois in the form of federal taxes, yet the state receives only a fraction of those resources in federal spending. Instead of cutting services and weakening unions, Governor Rauner should be standing up to Republican leaders in Congress and demanding our fair share.”
Other Reaction
Following Governor Bruce Rauner’s “State of the State” address today, Illinois Federation of Teachers President Dan Montgomery released the following statement:
"Try as he might to distract from it today, Governor Rauner can’t escape his failure to fulfill his primary responsibility — to negotiate and enact a state budget.
"His calls for bipartisanship are difficult to take seriously, especially given his identical words last year and his unwillingness or inability to lead since. Colleges and social services are making drastic cuts and average citizens are suffering while the Governor refuses to negotiate or ask the wealthiest to pay a dime more, despite a majority of Illinois voters who support exactly that.
"We also heard another list of so-called education reforms today, the vast majority of which do nothing to improve teaching, learning, or student success. We agree that we need to better fund our schools, but we reject the Governor's demand that change must be contingent on his political agenda to weaken the rights and voices of working people, whom he’s been attacking relentlessly.
"What we didn’t hear today was a real plan to address revenue for public schools and services or the funding crisis in higher education.
"Our teachers, faculty, and staff go to work each day trying to help others, trying to educate our children, trying to resolve – not create – conflict. If he truly wants to work together and address our state’s problems, Governor Rauner could learn a thing or two from them.
"The Governor also discussed the need for “school choice” in his speech. For additional information on this myth, please see Montgomery's recent speech to the City Club of Chicago, where he pointed out that charters do no better than traditional public schools, and many do worse. In addition, a recent poll of Illinois voters found that school choice ranks dead last in their concerns about education. Instead, parents want healthy, well-resourced neighborhood schools that provide high-quality programs and have no trouble attracting and retaining great teachers."
Myles X. Mendoza, Executive Director of One Chance Illinois, an organization that advocates for increased educational opportunities for low-income and working-class families, issued the following statement in reaction to Governor Rauner's State of the State Address:
"It’s clear that the Governor and leaders on both sides of the aisle are focused on improving how we educate our most at-risk children, and One Chance Illinois applauds them all. Providing disadvantaged kids access to high quality education is essential to Illinois' future.
"90% of Illinois’ low-income students aren't proficient in math, and 80% don't read at grade level. We need to put aside historical differences and provide kids the necessary resources to flourish. One Chance Illinois supports the Governor’s pledge to "create more quality school options for low-income children stuck in failing schools”. One Chance Illinois believes that traditional, charter and private school providers can come together on a policy that benefits the neediest children, and rewards quality providers.
"Partnerships between high schools, community colleges, and local employers are critical to ensuring young people can be ready for both college and career. One Chance Illinois believes there are solutions to support college and career readiness and looks forward to working with the Illinois General Assembly.
Kids only get one chance at a high quality education, and we must do everything we can to ensure that Illinois' children get the quality resources they need and deserve today.”
The Illinois Manufacturers' Association has release the following statement in response to Governor Rauner's State of the State Address:
"The Illinois Manufacturers' Association strongly agrees that reinvigorating our economy must continue to be a top priority for leaders in the state. Illinois cannot afford to wait and risk losing another 14,000 good-paying manufacturing jobs this year that serve as the backbone of our middle class. Many items outlined by the Governor including workers' compensation reform, creation of a new economic development partnership, and investing in education from pre-K through college are critically important for improving the lives of Illinois families and businesses. We are hopeful that leaders on both sides of the aisle can come together to achieve innovative solutions that will move Illinois forward."
Dan Lesser, Director of Economic Justice for the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, issued a statement on behalf of the Responsible Budget Coalition in response to Governor Rauner's State of the State Address:
“Hundreds of veterans, seniors, people with disabilities, immigrants, faith leaders, students, children, and working families traveled to the Capitol today from communities across Illinois to urge the Governor to make them his number one priority. The Governor ignored their calls and ignored the countless stories they’ve told about the harm being felt in their communities due to his failure to put a budget first that chooses revenue.
The Governor treated the enactment of a fully funded budget that invests in families and communities as an afterthought, failing to mention the issue until the final two minutes of his speech. This is despite hundreds of families chanting outside the chamber doors, calling for the enactment of a responsible budget immediately.
Yesterday, families from all corners of the state told how the "State of the State" is weak. If the Governor continues to use families and communities as leverage for his non-budget agenda, and chooses cuts to services that families rely on instead of choosing revenue, our state will grow ever weaker.”
Reporters from Illinois Public Radio contributed to this report.