Metro East Sun

With full knowledge that it was proposing a plan that missed its mark, Chicago Public Schools recently approved a flawed budget based on optimism that the state would override Gov. Bruce Rauner’s CPS bailout veto, which it did not.

“Chicago Public Schools passed a budget with a $215 million hole, signaling that they are still counting on the House to override Governor Rauner’s veto of the Chicago bailout,” said Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Steven Yaffe via the GOP’s website. “(State Rep.) Dan Beiser (D-Alton) has refused to rule out voting for the bailout.”

Democratic leaders earlier went back on their word regarding their intended passage of pension reform, an arrangement that might have channeled much-needed resources for Chicago’s schools. Now, House Democrats will face a formidable challenge as the legislature convenes to decide the matter.

“They can either stand for taxpayers who are demanding fiscal sanity from Springfield, or vote to recklessly bail out Chicago Public Schools,” party officials said.

Earlier in 2016, Beiser went on the record as saying that “Bailing out the Chicago Public School system is a terrible idea, especially when we have so many other problems with our state budget and our schools are in need of greater investment.

Now, party stakeholders have called on Beiser to stand by his word.

“Beiser owes it to the families in his district to guarantee that if an override is called, he will stand with them and vote 'no,' ” Yaffe said in response. “Will he betray his own words and back the Chicago bailout?”

In the end, there were not enough votes in the state House to accomplish an override of the veto.