Yet again, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and Governor Bruce Rauner are at odds. This time, over a constitutional amendment introduced by the Speaker. It may not matter -- the plan is dead if it doesn't advance Wednesday.
Above all else, Gov. Rauner, a Republican, says education comes first.
But apparently, he doesn't want to secure that with a constitutional guarantee.
His political foe, Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan wants the constitution to say adequate education funding is a fundamental right.
Rauner isn't on board.
"We have a constitutional requirement to have a balanced budget," Rauner said. "I don't know that our General Assembly has ever paid any attention to that constitutional requirement. And now to add other requirements that will get ignored?”
A spokesman for Speaker Madigan says the governor's shown education isn't a priority, given that last summer he vetoed all funding for colleges and universities. Higher ed went without state support for roughly ten months.