Latest News from Prairie State Wire

Policy institute says there's more for almost every school under Rauner's funding plan

By Caitlin Nordahl | Aug 17, 2017

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has vindicated Gov. Bruce Rauner’s changes to the state's public school funding bill, Ted Dabrowski of the Illinois Policy Institute contended recently.

GOP turns to Tribune, News-Democrat to help with school funding fight

By Caitlin Nordahl | Aug 17, 2017

The Illinois Republican Party recently cited the editorial opinions of downstate and Chicago daily newspapers in its call for Democrats to compromise on the state's K-12 funding bill.

Rauner pleads for compromise on school funding bill

By Caitlin Nordahl | Aug 17, 2017

A day after the Senate voted to override his amendatory veto of the state's K-12 funding bill, Gov. called on "the four legislative leaders" -- Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago), Speaker of the House Michael Madigan (D-Chicago), Senate Minority Leader Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) and House Minority Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) -- to meet and find a middle ground on the measure.

Rauner calls Charlottesville violence 'act of domestic terrorism'

By Caitlin Nordahl | Aug 16, 2017

Gov. Bruce Rauner condemned the violence that left one person dead and several injured at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday.

Illinois government consolidation acts good but not enough, Rauner says

By Caitlin Nordahl | Aug 16, 2017

Illinois municipal governments will have an easier time of consolidating thanks to two bills recently signed into law by Gov. Bruce Rauner.

Mendoza calls on House to override Rauner veto of school funding bill

By Caitlin Nordahl | Aug 15, 2017

Illinois State Comptroller Susana Mendoza is urging the House to follow the Senate's lead and override Gov. Bruce Rauner’s amendatory veto of the state's public school funding bill, according to Capitol Fax.

Education board analysis shows widespread benefit of Rauner's school funding changes

By Caitlin Nordahl | Aug 15, 2017

Nearly every public school in Illinois would receive more state money under Gov. Bruce Rauner's amended version of Senate Bill 1 than via the formula in the bill's original form, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has determined.

Illinois state workers will put on cyber sleuthing hats under new law

By Caitlin Nordahl | Aug 10, 2017

Gov. Bruce Rauner is calling on all state employees to do their part in protecting Illinois from cyber attacks, according to a recent press release.

Illinois described as sinking under pension woes, redundancies

By Caitlin Nordahl | Aug 9, 2017

Illinois is sailing straight for an iceberg, and it's too late to change course, a Chicago attorney argued recently on his firm's website.

Rauner takes his school funding case to newspaper boards

By Caitlin Nordahl | Aug 8, 2017

Gov. Bruce Rauner called for backup on his amendatory veto of the state's K-12 funding bill, enlisting the help of some Illinois newspaper editorial boards recently, according to a press release.

Rauner order meant to end 'parochial' approach to administrative hearings

By Caitlin Nordahl | Aug 8, 2017

Gov. Bruce Rauner recently signed an executive order meant to streamline administrative hearings in an effort to improve efficiency and cut down on case backlogs, according to a release from Rauner's office.

Jimenez announces summer meeting of Edgar Fellows

By Caitlin Nordahl | Aug 4, 2017

Forty members from the sixth class of Edgar Fellows will meet Aug. 6-10 in Champaign for an intensive training program designed to mold them into more effective leaders, according to a recent release from Rep. Sara Wojcicki Jimenez (R-Leland Grove).

Ammons, other downstate Dems rebuff their own schools, GOP claims

By Caitlin Nordahl | Aug 3, 2017

Downstate Democrats are basically stabbing their own districts' teachers and schoolchildren in the back by supporting Senate Bill 1's provisions tailored to Chicago Public Schools (CPS), the Illinois Republican Party said in a press release.

Rauner lists problems new state budget presents

By Caitlin Nordahl | Aug 3, 2017

Gov. Bruce Rauner wants Illinoisans to know how the state budget that lived through his veto attempt fails them.

Illinois GOP sees more media rapping Dems' knuckles

By Caitlin Nordahl | Aug 3, 2017

The State Journal-Register recently joined the media bashing of Democratic legislators, offering its take on the ongoing struggle to get funding in place for Illinois' public schools, according to the Illinois Republican Party.

Illinois continues to be black sheep of Midwest job growth

By Caitlin Nordahl | Aug 2, 2017

Illinois is adding only half of the number of jobs its neighbors are creating, according to a recent analysis from the Illinois Policy Institute.

GOP goes on Facebook attack over Madigan, school funding

By Caitlin Nordahl | Aug 2, 2017

The Illinois Republican Party has released several new digital ads for Facebook targeting House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) for pushing a school funding formula that the GOP says favors Chicago Public Schools (CPS), according to a recent release from the party.