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Governor supports "clean" school construction bill

Posted September 03, 2007 11:00 pm

Doug Finke

Gov. Rod Blagojevich will support a bill that gives $150 million to schools for long-awaited construction grants as long as it isn't loaded down with other spending, his office said Tuesday.

The statement comes amid mounting complaints from school districts and lawmakers that Blagojevich scuttled their effort this summer to provide funding for Rochester and 22 other districts that have waited as long as five years for state assistance.

After another news conference Tuesday by lawmakers and school superintendents calling for action on the matter, Blagojevich's office said he will support a bill awarding the money as long as it isn't tied to other spending proposals.

"We should help the school districts on the waiting list, as well as the many districts all over Illinois with growing infrastructure needs," said Blagojevich spokeswoman Rebecca Rausch in a written statement. "The governor will support a clean appropriations bill if lawmakers send him one, but that still doesn't help hundreds of schools that are not yet on the waiting list."

At least three bills have been introduced to take care of Rochester and the other districts. That legislation could be considered as early as Oct. 2, when the House and Senate, which are still technically in session, are scheduled to start the fall veto session.

A supplemental spending bill approved by lawmakers in May included $150 million for the 23 school districts awaiting promised state aid for construction projects. However, the bill also included money for many other programs, including a controversial 10 percent pay raise for the governor, lawmakers and other state officials.

Blagojevich eventually signed the bill, waiting until 30 minutes before it would have become law anyway. But the administration also said that the school construction money couldn't be used because the supplemental budget bill covered the budget year that ended June 30. It said school districts would have had to apply for the money during that budget year and none did.

That prompted an angry response from Rochester School Superintendent Tom Bertrand, who called the situation "incomprehensible" and a "political charade."

"They (school districts) heard for years they had all the paperwork in place, but there was no money," Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, said Tuesday. "Then we put the money in place, and they hear the paperwork is not in place."

Bradley was one of more than a dozen House members of both parties who appeared at a news conference to promote House Bill 4130, which would give the districts their money.

"This is an attempt for us to say, 'What additional excuses could there be out there not to build these schools?'" Bradley said.

Sponsoring Rep. Lisa Dugan, D-Bradley, called the governor's action "bureaucratic bull."

"The money is available. The governor needs to set his priorities straight," Dugan said.

Two similar measures have been introduced in the Senate, one by Sen. Larry Bomke, R-Springfield, who represents the Rochester district that is in line for more than $10 million if the money is approved.

A spokesman for House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, said the speaker has not taken a position on Dugan's bill.

A spokeswoman for Senate President Emil Jones, D-Chicago, said Jones still supports a more comprehensive capital bill, but will consider legislation that at least takes care of the 23 school districts.

Doug Finke can be reached at (217) 788-1527 or doug.finke@sj-r.com.

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