Democrats can't pass a balanced budget, but they can make sure Chicago gets the lion's share of any money going to state schools, Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) said after the end of the spring legislative session recently.
“Last week, Senate Democrats passed an unbalanced budget that includes a $5.4 billion tax increase, but which fails to pay off a single penny of the state’s unpaid bills,” Rose said in a statement. “This week, the House, under the leadership of Speaker Madigan, failed to pass any budget at all.”
The budget passed by Senate Democrats would increase the state’s personal income tax from to 4.95 percent from 3.25 percent and extend the state sales tax to a range of additional services. Republicans, including Gov. Bruce Rauner, had been calling for a budget that would include a property tax freeze, but their calls were ignored.
Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet)
In the House, Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) did not call a vote on the budget bill.
Rose said there was no such problem when it came to Chicago.
“…[T]hey pat themselves on the back for passing a school funding bill that sends 70 percent of funds to the Chicago Public School system, a system which has less than 20 percent of students in Illinois,” Rose said in his statement. “Meanwhile, the other 80 percent of the state gets just 30 percent of the money. Sadly, that is what we in downstate Illinois have come to expect from Chicago Democrats. And the people wonder why we can’t get a budget.”