Forty-one Illinois mayors and village presidents are calling on state lawmakers to approve the stopgap budget and education spending proposals introduced by Republican leaders.
Illinois Republicans are balking at a Democrat-backed plan to provide $721.5 million in state funding to community colleges and the Monetary Award Program (MAP).
Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) said he wants school funding reform tied to the state budgeting process.
"The governor has linked things together. We don't have a budget because he's got his 'turnaround agenda.' So I can link things together too," Cullerton said during remarks Monday at the City Club of Chicago. "This is a turnaround agenda. We gotta change the school funding formula."
During his City Club speech, Cullerton said a school funding overhaul is needed because the current system is the "most inequitable system of school finance in the country." The state's public education funding system has remained unchanged since 1997.
"Before we appropriate money for education for next year, (which) starts July 1, we have to fix this formula," Cullerton said. "And it's not a special deal for Chicago. In fact, we're eliminating the special deals for Chicago," including the special block grant it receives.
Gov. Bruce Rauner and the state's four legislative leaders participated in a budget meeting Tuesday, the first such gathering between the officials since May.
As Illinois gets closer to a government shutdown, state legislative leaders and Gov. Bruce Rauner met Monday and were unable to break through the budget stalemate.
On the day the new state general assembly was sworn in, Senate President John Cullerton called for policies that would increase the minimum wage and address school funding.