Governor Bruce Rauner visited a vocational school in Peoria Tuesday to tout his plans to improve Illinois schools.
Rauner’s ideas include funneling more state money to public schools and eliminating unfunded state mandates. Rauner was speaking in a school district where the majority of students are low income.
When the governor was asked how a lack of funding for community colleges and Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants may inhibit students from continuing their education, he said Republicans want another way to pay for them. Rauner wants freedom to cut the budget, and calls for looser procurement rules.:
“Speaker Madigan and his legislator have said no, ‘no reforms, let’s just spend money for MAP Grants, even though we don’t have it.’ So we’re more into debt and we have to force a massive tax hike.”
Rauner says he will veto any stand alone bill to restore funding to MAP grants because otherwise, “the state would go bankrupt,” he said.
Community Colleges and MAP grants haven’t received state funding since July 1.