A political cartoon circulated by a conservative Illinois think tank with ties to Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner has triggered accusations of racism and insensitivity in the wake of the deadly rally attack in Virginia.
The rendering is commentary on Illinois' school funding fight and depicts a black child from Chicago begging for money from a cigar-smoking white man.
The Illinois Policy Institute removed the online image late Wednesday after strong disapproval, including Democrats and Republicans standing in opposition at the Capitol. However, the organization says it took the image down because it was a "distraction" from the school funding debate.
Still, many say it invoked caricatures historically used to degrade African-Americans at a time when racial tensions are high.
Many top Rauner aides worked for the Chicago-based institute.
