IL Lawmakers Working To Hammer Out Details On School Funding
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Illinois lawmakers are working this weekend to hammer out the details on the school funding agreement.
CBS 2's Political Reporter Derrick Blakley reports that the legislative leaders have been meeting inside Speaker Mike Madigan's office, with Republicans speaking optimistically about the deal being all but complete.
This meeting comes on the heels of Thursday's announcement of a break through agreement to fund schools state-wide, which is in the wake of Gov. Bruce Rauner's veto of the rewrite of school funding, known as Senate Bill 1.
Both Jim Durkin, House Minority Leader, and Bill Brady, Senate Minority Leader, expressed confidence that the agreement reached in principle will be passed, despite grumbling from both Democrats and conservative Republicans.
"None of us are getting everything we want," Brady said. "This is a true compromise, this is how we got here. The governor's agreed to sign this bill."
As for dissent, some very conversation Republicans don't like the overall increase in education spending called for in the agreement. The increase amounts to approximately $7.5 billion over five years.
And some progressive Democrats don't like the state subsidies for private school tuition -- they call that shifting public money to support private education.
Still, GOP leaders are confident those qualms won't scuttle the deal.
The House and Senate are scheduled to reconvene Monday.