Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner has proposed shifting the responsibility for funding teacher pensions to local school districts. The governor says schools will not have to raise taxes to make the payments if the state gives them certain tools to lower operating costs.
"Getting rid of mandates, getting rid of restrictions and limitations and freeing up out school districts and our local governments to lower their costs by having greater control over how competitive contracts are bid, how contracting is done, competitive bidding is done." Rauner says.
The shift in school pension funding is part of a proposed $38 billion budget Rauner sent to the legislature. He was in Peoria Thursday to visit a state-funded pilot program at Methodist College that enables young adults to upgrade their medical qualifications while still working full-time.