Dear Friends,

Yesterday, Gov. Rauner issued an amendatory veto to rewrite a landmark school funding reform measure and force Chicago children to pay for a pension problem they did not create. He had the opportunity to correct the injustice that has plagued Illinois schools for decades and enact fair school funding but instead chose to put politics and divisive rhetoric before the needs of Illinois school children. His veto makes CPS the only school district in the state to lose money in the new school funding formula.

On May 31, both chambers passed Senate Bill 1, a measure that would replace Illinois’ worst-in-the nation school funding formula with one that adequately and equitably funds schools for the first time in decades. Under Senate Bill 1 as it passed both chambers, no school district would receive less funding than it did in Fiscal Year 2017.

Illinois’ current funding model is nearly 20 years old and rewards affluent communities while punishing those with high concentrations of poverty and lower property wealth. It has led to large spending and achievement gaps between wealthy districts and poor school districts because of its heavy reliance on local property taxes.

SB 1 would replace our current funding system with a new school funding model. The model uses 27 evidence-based practices that are proven to enhance student achievement in the classroom. The model also accounts for factors such as the number of students with disabilities, English language learners and low-income students.

SB 1 aims to level the playing field by funneling new money into school districts that are the least able to offer a high-quality education based on student needs, local property wealth and a district’s taxing effort. The measure also makes high-tax school districts eligible for property tax relief up to 1 percent of its Equalized Assessed Value.

As it passed the Senate and House, this legislation would dramatically affect CPS by shifting pension costs from the school district to the state. CPS is currently the only school district in Illinois that is responsible for the employer’s share of teachers’ pensions. Under Senate Bill 1, Chicago Public Schools would receive an additional $292 million total for the next school year to implement the evidence-based school funding formula and for pension costs. The governor’s veto, however, removes CPS pension coverage from SB 1 stating that it instead belongs in the Pension Code. That change would require significant legislative action.

Though the governor claims SB 1 is a Chicago “bailout,” 268 school districts would receive more per-pupil funding than CPS under SB 1. You can find out more information on how each school district would fare under SB 1 at Funding Illinois’ Future’s website, a coalition of more than 200 school districts, superintendents, educators and community- and faith-based organizations that support SB 1.

Beyond the changes to CPS, the governor’s amendatory veto also includes the following:

• Moving from a per-district hold harmless to a per-pupil hold harmless in 2021. This would negatively impact districts that are already losing students.

• Removes the minimum school funding requirement.

• Eliminates the Property Tax Extension Law Limit and TIF equalized assessed value subsidies.

• Removes a provision that safeguards against future pension cost shifts and ensures school funding would continue to support students.

Senate Bill 1 as it passed the legislature would stop pouring money into a broken system that has perpetuated a system of winners and losers. I voted for this legislation because I think children in Illinois should receive a fair education, regardless of their ZIP code.

The General Assembly now has the option of accepting or overriding the governor’s changes to Senate Bill 1. I will work to ensure that education is once again the great equalizer in Illinois.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact my office at 773-769-1717 or reach out online with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Senator Heather Steans
7th District – Illinois

Upcoming events in the district

We are currently collecting school supplies for our annual sponsor-a-student backpack drive. Please click here to review the supplies list and click here to sign up for the drive. The drive is now open and ends on August 11.

Dear Friends,

Join my office this evening at 6 p.m. at the Gale Community Academy auditorium, 1631 W Jonquil Terrace, to watch a live stream of Senator Andy Manar’s school funding town hall. Senator Manar is the lead sponsor of Senate Bill 1, which replaces Illinois’ worst-in-the nation school funding formula with one that adequately and equitably funds schools for the first time in decades. This is an opportunity for you to get the facts directly from the source.

Under Senate Bill 1, no school district would receive less funding than it did in Fiscal Year 2017. Despite this, the governor is threatening to use his amendatory veto power to make CPS the only school district in the state to lose money in the new school funding formula. Find out tonight how you can help encourage him to support Illinois students and Senate Bill 1.

Speakers tonight will include Senator Manar, Rep. Christian Mitchell, three school superintendents from central Illinois and Teresa Ramos from Advance Illinois. They will provide an overview and update on Senate Bill 1.

What: Live stream of school funding town hall with Senator Manar

When: 6-7:30 p.m., Thursday, July 27

Where: Gale Community Academy auditorium, 1631 W Jonquil Terrace, 60626

For those of you who are unable to attend the watch party, tune in to Senator Manar’s Facebook page for a live broadcast of the event.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact my office at 773-769-1717 or reach out online with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Senator Heather A. Steans
7th District – Illinois

Upcoming events

Annual backpack drive

As we head into fall, please consider sponsoring a student in the district with school supplies. I am working in partnership with local elected officials and community organizations to provide a variety of supplies for elementary and high school students. We are looking for donors to sponsor a student or contribute individual supplies. Click here to review the supplies list and click here to sign up for the drive. The drive is now open and ends on August 11.

Rogers Park Community Pet Day

I hope you will join me on August 12 between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Pottawattomie Park, 7340 N. Rogers, for the Rogers Park Community Pet Day. There will be free microchips for the first 100 pets and low-cost vaccines available. The City of Chicago will also have staff on hand to register dogs.

Dear Friends,

Yesterday I voted along with my colleagues in the Senate to end this long, destructive budget impasse and set our state on a path toward fiscal stability. I voted to ensure that our schools open on time, that our social service agencies can continue to support vulnerable citizens within our community, and for our institutions of higher education to finally receive funding support after two years without a complete budget.

This budget is the result of genuine compromise after years of bipartisan negotiations. It includes revenue and reforms to sustain the state while reducing spending. It will allow the state to pay down the nearly $15 billion backlog of bills so that social service organizations, universities, hospitals, nursing homes and small businesses can receive payment for their services.

The state’s budget impasse has gone on far too long, and too many Illinoisans have been negatively affected by it. Without this action, bond rating agencies threatened to lower Illinois to an unprecedented “junk” credit rating. It was time to put an end to the suffering.

Unfortunately, the governor did not share that belief. Shortly after the balanced budget passed in the Senate Tuesday, the governor vetoed the package in its entirety. The Senate quickly overrode his veto. Now the House must also override the veto for the budget to go into effect and bring relief to a state in crisis. This vote could happen as soon as Thursday.

I have said all along that resolving the impasse would require a combination of spending cuts and revenue. This bipartisan package includes $2.5 billion in reductions to state agencies and programs and spends $1.2 billion less than the budget the governor introduced in February. In total, our plan spends $36.1 billion and brings in $36.4 billion.

Importantly, the bipartisan budget includes a revenue plan that will provide our state with long-term stability. Raising revenue is a responsibility we took very seriously. Before considering a tax increase, we attempted to make as many cuts as possible without damaging services and agencies.

The revenue package increases the income tax from 3.75 percent to 4.95 percent – less than the 5 percent rate it was in 2014. The corporate income tax would increase to 7 percent. This budget also adds some progressivity to the income tax by increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit from 10 to 18 percent over the next two years and means tests income tax exemptions for the first time. The budget also eliminates three corporate tax loopholes, saving the state $125 million each year.

This budget supports communities, education and vital services. It includes an additional $350 million in funding to implement an evidence-based school funding model, which provides additional support for the neediest districts and aims to level the playing field. The plan also appropriates additional funding to support MAP grants for low-income students to attend universities and colleges in Illinois. It funds numerous human service programs the governor had gutted, such as immigrant services, addiction prevention and community youth services, among others.

Outside of budgetary matters, this spring the Senate passed pension reform, procurement reform, term limits, government consolidation and school funding reform. Many of these came at the request of the governor, and all were negotiated with Senate Republicans.

There is more work to do to alleviate the strain the budget impasse has placed on our state. For now, this is a giant step toward securing fiscal stability for Illinois. I am heartened by the progress and will continue to work with my colleagues to provide certainty for the state.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact my office at 773-769-1717 or reach out online with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Senator Heather A. Steans
7th District – Illinois

Upcoming events in the district

I hope that you will be able to stop by my tent on July 6, July 20 or August 17 at the Argyle Night Market between 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Legislative handouts as well as face painting for children will be available.