The sure sign of acceptable compromise showed up on the House floor before the historic agreement on an education funding bill, according to Rep. Peter Breen (R-Lombard) in a press release.
“You can hear it here today: No one’s happy about this bill,” Breen said while addressing the House prior to a vote on SB1947. “House Republicans aren’t happy; House Democrats aren’t happy, but oftentimes that’s a sign that the bill has actually hit that sweet middle spot where folks are getting what they need – not necessarily everything they want, but they’re getting what they need.”
Breen noted several provisions Republican lawmakers championed in negotiations over the bill, including increased mandate flexibility for school districts and control over property taxes for the voters of some districts. Breen also spoke about the tax credit scholarship program, urging representatives opposed to the measure to vote for the bill because the program's funding would not affect public schools.
Rep. Peter Breen (R-Lombard)
“This would be the first major education funding compromise in decades,” Breen said. “The people of the state of Illinois will thank us for doing it, and I think our successors in this body will thank us for doing it, and the schoolchildren will be better off overall.”
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