SZALINSKI’S SUMMARY: House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch said he’s searching for ways to raise revenue to increase funding for K-12 education, and particularly Chicago Public Schools. Welch was captured on video last week committing to pushing new school funding legislation in veto session.
“Some of my conversations that I’ve been having have been trying to find revenue streams short of a referendum, and so nothing’s realistic if you don’t fight,” Welch told Capitol News Illinois Wednesday.
BACKGROUND: The Chicago Teachers Union posted a video to social media last week in which Welch commits to “lead that effort in the veto session” to improve funding for CPS: “I do think that the state of Illinois can do better (and) should do better. I’m going to keep fighting for you, so that we can get more revenue to get to CPS schools.”
One day later, the Chicago School Board approved a budget that relies on the state chipping in another $150 million beyond what’s already been allocated. CPS is facing a budget hole of more than $700 million and the specter of laying off more than 1,000 district employees, including hundreds of teachers, to close it.
POLITICAL MOVE: Welch told us the goal is to build support for some plan to raise revenue by veto session. It comes as he’s under fire for his handling of sexual harassment allegations against former Rep. Harry Benton and reports about his own interactions with Benton’s staffer. Is it a move to shift the conversation? Or alternatively, will members follow the speaker’s lead on the issue? Time will tell.
Either way, it’s an uphill battle to get the three-fifths majority support in the legislature for new funding.
WHY IT MATTERS FOR SCHOOLS: Education funding, especially for CPS, has been a growing topic in Springfield. The state is well behind its goal of fully funding K-12 schools by next year under the Evidence-Based Funding model. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and his allies in the CTU have previously said the state “owes” CPS $1 billion.
The latest CPS budget appears aimed at pressuring state lawmakers to increase funding or bear the political weight of getting blamed for layoffs and other problems.
WHAT’S THE PLAN: Welch didn’t outline a specific plan to increase funding for K-12 education — that appears to be the subject of meetings he’s having with advocates.
The speaker said his answer to CTU is “consistent in how I’ve always answered that question.” Welch pointed out he supported many of the progressive ideas that were pushed during the spring, including creating a “millionaires tax” via a constitutional amendment. He also added that he knows many other districts aside from CPS need the money too.
LONG WAIT: Welch said he’s searching for a way to raise revenue without going to a referendum. Raising taxes based on someone’s income requires voters to approve a constitutional amendment. But the deadline to put that on the ballot this year was in May, which means the soonest voters could approve the idea is in 2028.
It’s also not guaranteed that voters would approve the revenue sources. A graduated income tax amendment was soundly defeated in 2020, though supporters have suggested it needs to be reframed and better explained to voters on the next try.
Gov. JB Pritzker told reporters he hasn’t seen any plans from Welch.
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