Rauner school funding veto would punish Aurora for economic development efforts

SPRINGFIELD – Aurora would be punished for its economic development efforts if Gov. Bruce Rauner’s amendatory veto of Senate Bill 1 is approved by legislators.

“Bruce Rauner has achieved what was once thought unachievable. With the stroke of a pen, he stirred up havoc for both small businesses and public schools across Illinois” Holmes said.

Under Rauner’s plan, special economic development funds known as Tax Increment Financing districts (TIFs), would be counted against the state support school districts receive. Because school districts generally don’t have access to TIF revenue, they would effectively receive less state funding because communities with TIFs would appear to have more available resources than they can access.

Rauner’s short-sighted plan, which was only exposed this week, punishes Illinois communities in need of both economic development and increased state investment for schools.

“It’s remarkable that Bruce Rauner is championing a plan that not only reduces funding for schools, but also handicaps incentives to create jobs in virtually every Illinois community,” State Senator Linda Holmes (D – Aurora) said. “By penalizing communities for using available tools to fight blight and improve the business climate, Rauner yet again reveals his commitment to pitting neighbor against neighbor while creating uncertainty in public institutions.”

Rauner’s amendatory veto penalizes hundreds of Illinois communities who desperately need adequate education funding and aggressive economic development tools. Aurora currently has seven TIF districts.

Because Rauner has kept the details of his plans quiet from lawmakers and the media until this week, it is unclear how much state investment Aurora potentially loses out on. Holmes says it has little merit while students, parents and schools need the stability to open – and stay open – within days.

For a full listing of TIF districts throughout Illinois, click here:

https://illinoiscomptroller.gov/comptroller/assets/File/MunicipalitiesWithTIFDistricts_August2016.pdf

Sen. Holmes statement on Rauner veto of school funding reform

SPRINGFIELD – State Sen. Linda Holmes, D-Aurora, issued the following statement in response to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of Senate Bill 1, an education funding reform measure:

“Today, Governor Rauner allowed partisan extremism and political grudges to get in the way of doing the right thing when he vetoed Senate Bill 1. If passed, this bill would increase state funding for every school in Illinois by sending funding to districts where it is needed most according to a data-driven formula. A month ago, the Rauner administration claimed to be in support of 90 percent of this bill, which is more than most parties to any compromise get.

“Schools in my district will be forced to close as soon as the end of October if Senate Bill 1 does not become law. It is time for the General Assembly to come together and get this passed so that schools can open this fall and remain open all year.”

Sen. Holmes statement on passage of balanced budget plan

SPRINGFIELD – State Sen. Linda Holmes, D- Aurora, made the following statement following the passage of a full-year, balanced state budget:

“After more than two years, the state of Illinois finally has a balanced budget. The budget that we approved and sent to the governor’s desk today includes over $2.5 billion in responsible cuts. It also provides funding that will restore stability, which has been absent for more than two chaotic years, to state government. A full-year budget will allow social service providers, institutions of higher learning and government agencies to operate with more certainty. I call on Governor Rauner to stop the political games and sign the budget that we have approved.”

Sen. Holmes appointed to General Assembly Human Trafficking Task Force

SPRINGFIELD – Aurora Democrat State Sen. Linda Holmes was recently appointed to serve on the Illinois General Assembly’s Human Trafficking Task force. The legislators, activists and law enforcement professionals that make up the task force will present suggestions to mitigate human trafficking in Illinois.

“I am honored and humbled by this opportunity to address this heinous crime in Illinois, the Midwest and the United States as a whole,” Holmes said. “We’ll be holding meetings across the state to help us understand how this crime affects the different regions of Illinois and what can be done to stop it.”

While often associated with prostitution, it is also common for victims of human trafficking to be forced to work against their will. According to a Global Slavery Index study released in 2016, there are 45.8 million people enslaved around the world.

Chicagoland, with its ample transportation infrastructure, has long been a port of entry used by traffickers. In 2003, The New York Times called the area one of the country’s major human trafficking hubs.

“Human trafficking is a serious and complex problem that will require cooperation from a diverse group of stakeholders to fix,” Holmes said. “I look forward to evaluating our current prevention measures and finding new and better ways to advocate for victims.”