Students, Lawmakers Demand Rauner Release MAP Scholarship Funds During Rally At Chicago State
(CBS) -- Students, educators, and the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus hosted a rally at Chicago State University demanding that Governor Bruce Rauner release funding to the state university system and grants for students, reports WBBM's Bob Roberts.
Although the rally was called in support of the upcoming vote to override Governor Rauner's veto of $373 million in student monetary award grants, the impending shutdown of Chicago State was equally front and center.
Senator Dick Durbin said he has never seen Illinois in such a mess. State Treasurer Mike Frerichs said the situation disgusts him. State Senator Napoleon Harris said if Rauner wants a fight, he's got one.
State Senator Donnie Trotter said students should not be pawns.
"We are at war," Trotter said. "We have someone who is sitting in Springfield who doesn't concern himself about our issues. This is our fight."
The man Rauner defeated, former Governor Pat Quinn, said Rauner has his priorities wrong.
"There's something wrong in Illinois where the millionaires and billionaires last year got seven hundred and fifty million dollars, three quarters of a billion dollars, in tax cuts for themselves and now they're cutting the MAP scholarships for 130,000 students of Illinois," Quinn said.
The override vote is expected in the coming week.