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Three Day Special Session Scheduled for May 20

By David Wood posted 05-14-2020 13:46

  

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We weren’t sure when it would exactly happen, but we expected the General Assembly would reconvene in person at some point in May. 

While most of the country has held meetings virtually, the General Assembly was restrained by a state law that says legislative sessions must be held “in the seat of government,” which is Springfield. The month of May was also important because, beginning in June, the threshold for legislation to pass jumps from a simple majority to three-fifths. Even though Democrats control both chambers, a three-fifths majority can be a steep climb. 

On Wednesday, we got our answer. The General Assembly will return to Springfield May 20-22 — with the House at the Bank of Springfield Center and Senate at the statehouse — for a special session, filled with face masks and social distancing, slated to last three days.

The reason a special session is being called, and not just an abbreviated spring session, is to limit the scope of measures discussed and acted upon. Senate President Don Harmon and House Speaker Michael Madigan released a joint proclamation Wednesday that defined the agenda. The proclamation lists seven topics: 

  • The Covid-19 pandemic or other disasters.
  • The state budget and its implementation.
  • Economic recovery, infrastructure projects and funding thereof.
  • The expansion, arguments for and against, and the form for constitutional amendments as required under the Illinois Constitutional Amendment Act.
  • Laws or authority scheduled to be repealed prior to June 1, 2021.
  • The 2020 General Election and the State Board of Elections.
  • The hospital assessment program.
 
With the limited scope, we won’t be facing the usual myriad of unfunded mandates and misguided legislative proposals. The biggest issue for schools will be funding, with the possibility a few other measures will get addressed. 

As you know, the spread of COVID-19 and resulting stay-at-home order, put in place to slow down the transmission of the disease, has wreaked havoc on Illinois’ economy. Estimates predict $2.7 billion less revenue than expected for the budget the state is currently operating under, and $4.6 billion less revenue for a budget plan for the fiscal year that begins on July 1.

What does that mean for Evidence-Based Funding? According to State Sen. Andy Manar, more essential funding like local governments, school districts and social services are likely to be the focal point and still receive their respective budgets.

Going through each agency to find what spending can be reduced hasn’t been easy, Manar told The State Journal-Register. 

“What are spending pressures? For example, we have to make a sizeable increased investment to cover the state’s pension systems,” Manar said. “We have court orders and consent decrees dealing with (Department of Children and Family Services) and human service budgets. Those are things we have to do.”

Other legislators I have spoken to indicate a desire to allocate an additional $350 million into the formula, but, in reality, the math isn’t in our favor. Our hope — and it’s a pretty big hope — is flat funding from last year. Essentially, a hold harmless.

Writing that sentence is extremely difficult because EBF has made a dramatic difference in schools across Illinois. We would love to build on that. However, it’s simply hard to imagine how a $6 billion-plus hole gets filled without preK-12 education absorbing a portion of that loss. 

The one caveat would be if the federal government provides direct funding to help states close their budget gap for FY 21. Right now, it’s not clear if and when that will happen. There is precedent, though. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provided funding for preK-12 education, albeit with many strings attached. We’ll wait and see.

For the overall budget, two possibilities have gained traction. Don’t be surprised if the General Assembly passes a six-month budget and one that is a lump sum. The latter would give Gov. JB Pritzker more discretion on how to spend the funds.

The lump sum budget also makes sense given the state is in a public health crisis and flexibility with state funds may be necessary. The fact Democrats control the governor’s office and both chambers, of course, matters. The thinking behind the six-month budget ties into the possible passage of the graduated income tax in November. If approved, the graduated income tax would kick in Jan. 1, bringing with it additional revenue. Lawmakers could reconvene for the fall veto session, after the November election, and pass a budget for the remaining fiscal year, having a much clearer picture on what revenue will be. 

As for the possibility of additional measures being addressed during this special session, IASA has outlined specific priorities to the General Assembly, knowing their agenda would be limited. It’s unclear what measures will break through, but we believe most fall in the parameters released Wednesday. 

Beyond funding, our list of priorities submitted to the General Assembly and governor’s office (before Wednesday’s parameters were released) include:

Inter-Fund Transfers

We have asked to renew and make permanent the statutory authority given to schools in 2003 to transfer among operations funds. This law is set to sunset this year if not renewed. 

PTELL and CPI Recapture

The Illinois School Code provides an incentive for school districts to maximize their levy. If a school district does not use the entire CPI rate in calculating their levy, they lose access to this portion in future years, except for a brief three-year look-back period. We have asked the General Assembly to extend the look-back period as an incentive for school districts to not maximize their levy for fear of permanently losing it.

Minimum Teacher Salary

We have also asked the state to reconsider the minimum teacher salary law passed last year, possibly through a phased-in/delay or through a specific appropriation to help transition these districts to the new requirement.

Broadband/ED Tech

Closing schools has brought to the forefront the digital divide in Illinois. We have asked the General Assembly to consider dedicating funding to helping close this gap and make it easier for students across Illinois to access the Internet from their homes and further engage in remote learning. 

This list is nowhere near exhaustive. However, we hope it’s realistic given the condensed schedule and current political environment. 

Let me end by saying thank you for all you have done to feed students and families during this pandemic while also providing some continuity of education. It is truly an unprecedented time, and you answered the call.

 

Thanks for reading. 
 

Sincerely, 
 
Diane Hendren 
Director of Governmental Relations 
Illinois Association of School Administrators

Shared with permission from IASA.
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