Governor Bruce Rauner stopped in Peoria Sunday for the Illinois Sheriffs' Association Convention at the Pere Marquette Hotel.
The governor spoke about the state's budget crisis, including dealing with Pensions, infrastructure and prisons.
He also talked the 5-day requirement to announce details on the Special Election for the 18th District Special, with the clock starting March 31st. "So, we'll do it within that time frame; we'll announce the date, and then we have 120 days from that date to have it be effective... so we're going to do it within that process and we're working with the Board of Elections to work that out," Rauner said.
And in the face of the 2.25% reduction in education spending was approved last week, Rauner said he was opposed to education funding cuts, but compromise is necessary. "We do have a special fund that was created as part of the 2015 budget reparation bill that gives us the flexibility to put money back into schools as they need it. So, we're not going to have to cut schools as much as the two and a quarter percent that was in the base bill.”
Rauner also said that he was "troubled" by what he read about Indiana's new Religious Freedom law.