http://newschannel20.com/news/local/illinois-state-police-work-to-hire-officers-after-four-year-hiring-freeze-07-28-2017

SPRINGFIELD, IL – ( Cymphanie Sherman, WCIS-TV.  Please click on the link above for the full story and video.  Here is an excerpt below.)

The budget impasse in Illinois caused a hiring freeze throughout many state agencies. The Illinois State Police said they weren’t able to train or hire new officers for four years.

However, now that there is a state budget, ISP is working on getting their staffing numbers back up.

“We’re stretched very thin, so we’re doing ten different jobs as one person, so it’s very important we get troops on the streets because we’re very low staffed,” explained Austin Muniz, an officer with ISP.

Press Release from Governor Bruce Rauner

SPRINGFIELD, IL   – The possibility of public schools across Illinois not opening on time increased today after Democratic lawmakers failed to send the education funding reform bill to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s desk.

On the second day of a special session, the governor decried Democratic leaders’ unwillingness to send him Senate Bill 1 for his review. It has been two months since the bill was passed by the General Assembly, but Senate Democrats have refused to advance it to the governor’s desk.

“We’re all here. The General Assembly is here. President Cullerton, Speaker Madigan, turn in your homework,” Gov. Rauner said. “You passed a bill to fund our schools two months ago, but you’re hiding it. You’re sitting on it. You’re putting our kids and our teachers at risk. Stop putting political games above our children’s education. There’s no excuse for this.”

Gov. Rauner has said it’s “outrageous” and “unreasonable” that Democratic leaders are intentionally withholding SB 1 to force a crisis before the beginning of the school year. The governor has made clear that once he receives SB 1, he will issue an amendatory veto. This will allow school districts across the state to receive more funding, and it will prevent taxpayers from being on the hook for a Chicago Public Schools pension bailout. However, no action can be taken until Senate Democrats send SB 1 to Gov. Rauner.

A new website launched by Gov. Rauner shows how much additional money each school district will receive as a result of the governor’s planned action: https://www.illinois.gov/gov/SitePages/SchoolDistrictFunding.aspx

https://www.ilnews.org/news/state_politics/special-session-day-education-funding-bill-sets-up-another-tax/article_bf74093e-73a5-11e7-896a-8ba2358d9e5c.html

SPRINGFIELD, IL  – (Greg Bishop and Dan McCaleb, Illinois News Network.  Please click on the link above for the full story.  Here is an excerpt below.)

Monday is shaping up to be the day in the battle over a state education funding reform bill that one lawmaker says will result in more tax increases. That’s when Senate President John Cullerton says he will finally send Gov. Bruce Rauner an education funding measure that also bails out Chicago Public Schools’ pensions.

For the third consecutive day Friday, lawmakers in the House and the Senate adjourned their special sessions just minutes after convening, taking no action.

Rauner on Friday again criticized Cullerton and House Speaker Michael Madigan for holding up Senate Bill 1, the education bill that would create an evidence-based model for school funding as well as send CPS an additional $215 million in state taxpayer money annually to pay down its critically underfunded pension system