At a town hall meeting in Geneva, state Rep. Steve Andersson (R-Geneva) said he is against a stopgap budget to fund education in the state.
Andersson hosted the town hall Monday night in the Sunset Park community room to discuss the state budget crisis with area residents.
The deadline to pass a budget during the spring session was May 1. Lawmakers now have until June 30 to pass a budget, however, it will require a three-fifths majority vote.
Andersson said he would not support another education stopgap budget as a short-term solution to keep schools open. The Geneva Republican supports pushing through an overall budget compromise. He said that he spent the past two days telephoning lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
He encouraged residents to phone Gov. Bruce Rauner’s office and the office of House Democratic Leader Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) as well concerning a stopgap education budget.
“Tell them you don’t want that,” he said.
Andersson said he is opposed to an education stopgap budget because “it would take the pressure off of us to get a full budget. The moment we say schools have been funded, that means all the suburbanites are not paying attention that the state is in a crisis.”
Instead, Andersson said, the spotlight needs to remain on the budget impasse.
“We have to drive attention to the crisis,” he said. “One way to do that is not pass stopgap budgets. They give the illusion that we have done something.”
Andersson said he certainly does not want to see schools close.
“I want there to be a threat to close schools to drive the politicians to the table to reach a compromise,” he said. “There needs to be a threat of schools not opening in order to drive the Legislature and governor to the table to reach a compromise. I believe it is one of the few ways to get it done.”
He said the potential for schools to close would be a great motivator for legislators because “it would be disastrous and people would not stand for it.”
Andersson said he does know others who support his thinking on a stopgap budget.
“I get a lot of support from the rank-and-file on that idea and some leadership. I think that I have a shot at not having a stopgap budget,” he said.
Andersson said increasing pressure might be the way for Illinoisans to come to terms with the budget crisis.
“I think there is going to be mounting pressure. That’s the work I am going to be doing in the next few weeks … to push everyone I know if we don’t get a (budget) compromise,” he said.
Two Northern Illinois University professors at the meeting conveyed how the budget impasse has negatively affected regional public colleges and universities.
“Higher-education in the state is getting strangled, yet we at NIU don’t have the worst of it. It is tragic,” Amanda Littauer said.
“I can see how much the emergency we are under is disproportionately impacting those with less opportunity and resources,” she said. “It’s a huge human-rights issue from my perspective. They are getting the worst of it.”
Another NIU professor said some students are opting to enroll in out-of-state colleges and universities, while others are choosing to attend community colleges, due to state funding issues.
Concerns were also raised at the meeting about the lack of state funding going for social services, especially agencies that serve people with mental and physical disabilities and others seeking help because of domestic violence and sexual abuse.
Andersson acknowledged some social service agencies have been forced to close their doors.
Andersson said he is calling lawmakers urging them to find a “middle ground” on the budget that would have the votes to get passed.
“The definition of a good deal is one that nobody ends happy, that everyone has given something until it hurts. That’s what I am driving — everybody gives until it hurts,” he said.
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News
