Schools dragged into Capitol spat
SPRINGFIELD -- Gov. Rod Blagojevich has sent letters to every school district superintendent in Illinois blaming House Speaker Michael Madigan for a delay in an education funding increase.
The governor's letter, sent Friday, lambastes fellow Democrat Madigan, saying $554 million for schools can't be distributed without a budget implementation bill.
"The Speaker of the House, Michael Madigan, is the only person who can call an implementation bill for a vote," Blagojevich wrote in the letter.
Each of the more than 800 letters contains the same language, with a different dollar figure for what each district stands to lose if legislators fail to act.
Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said the implementation bill is "part of the overall budget agreement" and is in a state of uncertainty because of Blagojevich vetoes. Blagojevich trimmed $460 million in local projects from a Madigan-backed budget that lawmakers sent him last month.
The governor's letters to school leaders came one day after Madigan announced a series of statewide public hearings to build support against the governor's cuts.
"I think the dog fight between the governor and the speaker is something I don't need to be pushed into," said Normal-based Unit 5 Superintendent Gary Niehaus after hearing about the letters.
The Senate has passed an implementation bill. The House has not and isn't scheduled to return to Springfield until early October.