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Comptroller Denies Withholding Money For Schools

G-Jun Yam
/
AP
Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza, Illinois, responds to a reporter's question during an interview in here office about the state budget in Chicago.

Illinois comptroller Susana Mendoza is pushing back against accusations that she has withheld money schools need to open.

Education Secretary Beth Purvis appeared on Chicago radio station WGN to echo demands made by her boss, Gov. Bruce Rauner, for Democrats to allow their school funding bill to be partially vetoed.

While on air, Purvis also went after Mendoza, a Democrat, for failure to send schools two quarterly reimbursements for transportation and special education costs.

Mendoza said Thursday there's no money for that at the moment.

"We still have pension payments to make, and more importantly, we have the debt service payments that have to be made. And if they're not made, then the state will go into junk bond status," Mendoza said.

The state owes schools more than $800 million, but her office has less than $300 million in the bank.

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