Education Could See Funding Cuts Under Local Pols' Budget Plan

Key leaders of the Illinois House reached across the aisle this week to pass legislation related to how the state should pay its bills. 

State Rep. Tom Cross (R-Oswego) partnered with House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) to hash out a state budget proposal. Their plan is different than Gov. Pat Quinn's, with one of the key differences being that the House plan cuts $200 million out of the governor's budget.

"This series of legislation is putting the legislature on the right path to passing a state budget that is balanced and does not exceed what we can afford," Cross said. "It also provides schools, human service providers and others with some certainty knowing how much money will be available as they prepare their own budgets."

The legislation Cross is referring to includes newly-passed House Bill 3639, House Bill 3697, and House Bill 116, which ensure that the state pensions are fully funded next year. House Bill 117, which passed the Public Safety Committee, requires the state to allocate $2.137 billion to pay debt service on bonds, according to Cross' press release.

Other relevant legislation this week included the House adopting Resolution 158, which specifies that state revenues in excess of the estimated $33.2 billion should be used to pay down bills.

"According to the bills that are passing out of committee and on the House floor this week, the money to pay the pension systems will come out of the General Revenue Fund (the main fund where existing tax revenues go)," Cross spokeswoman Sara Wojcicki said.

Wojcicki did not specify where any cuts to education would come from under Cross and Madigan's plan.

"The Education Appropriations Committee as well as the other appropriations committees will determine over the next couple of weeks where to spend the money that has been allocated," she explained.