Metro East Sun

Doug Jameson is calling Democrats in the Legislator for delay of game and unsportsmanlike conduct.

It's too bad the issue is not as simple as a football game. Instead, Jameson says the Democrats are preventing Illinois' schoolchildren from knowing whether they will have any classes to go to in a few weeks.

“What they’re doing now is like in a football game where one team enters the red zone, then starts making bad plays trying to score the touchdown before the clock runs out,” Jameson told the Metro East Sun recently. “That’s what they’re hoping: That they can run out the clock with the governor, and he will be willing to sign anything just to have schools open on time.”  

Jameson, who has announced his campaign to run against Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Swansea) in the 113th District next year, argued that Gov. Bruce Rauner will not sign Senate Bill 1, the state's public school measure, in its current form because it unfairly favors Chicago schools.

“Stop holding our schools’ hostage to a Chicago Public School (CPS) bailout,” Jameson said. “Senate Bill 1 in its current form is unfair to downstate schools and children.”

SB1 would provide for the distribution of funding to schools in order of need. After passing both chambers, it stalled after Democrats added a payout to help CPS with its massive pension debt. Democrats are said to be holding onto it for fear of a Rauner veto that they will not have the votes to override.

“All the outlandish pension plan debts the state has to CPS workers shouldn’t be covered at everyone else’s expense,” Jameson said. “For CPS students to be funded at a 3 to 1 ratio compared to downstate students is not fair to kids outside of CPS. SB1 sets up discriminating against downstate students and sets up for more tax increases to cover it.”

Jameson said Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) needs to send SB1 to Rauner now, allowing him ample time to make good on his pledge to make needed changes.