McHenry Times

Rep. Steve Andersson (R-Geneva) is all for evidence-based school funding, but there's no evidence that Chicago schools deserve more than any other schools in the state, he said on a recent appearance on "Chicago Tonight."

“Make no mistake, the fundamental ideas in it, the evidence-based model, I fully support,” Andersson said. “In fact, I so much supported it I was a co-sponsor. Until the amendment was filed that changed a certain number of aspects of it. … The bottom line is they have taken certain portions of the pension code that don’t belong in the school formula calculation and have moved them in there. They have baked them in so that they will forever be part of the 'hold harmless.'"

In its most recent form, SB1 contains provisions to pay pension debt accrued by Chicago Public Schools. Gov. Bruce Rauner used an amendatory veto to remove the Chicago benefit.

Rep. Steve Andersson (R-Geneva)

Andersson, who joined other legislators in overriding Rauner's budget veto, said he would not vote to override a veto of SB1.

“My intention is to not vote to override this (veto),” Andersson said. “You have to understand, what we were working on before is materially different than this bill. This bill is about education funding, and I have issues with the structure of how it’s been amended that forced me to say that the bill is not yet right, that it’s not ready.”