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State Sen. Graciela Guzmán, D-Chicago, is a former CTU
organizer.
At a press conference in Chicago on Monday, Guzmán said schools
are required to provide special education services,
transportation and other categoricals.
“These are not optional. They are legal and moral requirements.
If we require our schools to provide them, the state has an
obligation to fund them,” Guzmán said.
State Rep. Will Davis, D-Hazel Crest, introduced House Bill 5409
to fully fund both EBF and mandated categoricals.
“We’ve talked about as much as $550 million. The reality is it’s
probably upwards of $1 billion that’s needed to get us to fully
funding schools,” Davis said.
Davis said he was proud to stand with Chicago Teachers Union
representatives pushing for more state money.
Davis said Gov. J.B. Pritzker is prioritizing large sums of
money in other areas.
“We need him to prioritize resources here as well. It doesn’t
get to me any more simple than that. My conversations, they have
a comfort level. We need to make them a little uncomfortable,”
Davis said.
The Illinois House Rules Committee has received a constitutional
amendment proposal for a millionaire’s tax, with half the
revenues going to public schools.
Republican Illinois House candidate Lori Smith said the people
in her district cannot afford more taxes.
“I mean frankly, the people of the state can’t afford it. They
just keep taxing us to death,” Smith told TCS.
Illinois voters rejected previous proposals for a graduated
income tax.
Pritzker is scheduled to deliver his budget address at the
Illinois Capitol on Feb. 18.
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