Equality is the key to solving the state's education funding issues, Assistant House Minority Leader Norine Hammond (R-Macomb) said recently, according to a press release.
For that reason, Hammond said she is supporting House Bill 4069 rather than Senate Bill 1, which she argued is tilted toward Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Both introduce evidence-based funding, but HB4069 would not provide millions of dollars to pay down CPS's pension debt.
“Millions and millions of dollars in general state aid are sent to CPS to pick up the cost of one school district's initiatives and pension obligation under SB1,” Hammond said in the news release. “The rest of the state's school districts, however, must pick up the cost of programs like Early Childhood Education, different forms of transportation, and pension and healthcare related costs, where CPS does not because the entire state subsidizes them.”
Rep. Norine Hammond (R-Macomb)
SB1 was sent to Gov. Bruce Rauner on Monday, but he has vowed to use an amendatory veto to strip it of the pension payment to CPS.
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