Governor Bruce Rauner was met with a mixed reception Thursday, when he stopped at the University of Illinois Urbana campus. The governor was there to congratulate students who had won awards for innovative technology.
The governor was applauded by those who came to see the awarding of the Illinois Innovation Prize. But he was heckled by demonstrators who blamed him for the budget impasse that’s held up state funding for higher education --- except for some recently approved stopgap funding. Over chants of “Rauner Go Home”, the governor promised that better times were coming for higher education in Illinois.
“And I ask for your perseverance during these troubled times. We are going to get a budget. It’s taken too long. We are going to fund higher education in a significant way. And we are going to significantly increase the support for the U of I in future years, so you can expand your positive impact on the Illinois economy," Rauner said.
Rauner left quickly, without speaking to reporters, and without getting the chance to meet the winner of the Illinois Innovation Prize. He’s M.D. and Ph.D. candidate Aadeel Akhtar, whose startup company is developing a high-tech, prosthetic hand with sensory feedback, that can be sold for less than a thousand dollars.