In response to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s amendatory veto to the widely supported school funding reform measure, State Senator Mattie Hunter (D- Chicago) released the following statement:

“Sadly, the governor continues to use our children as pawns to advance his political agenda. Governing the state of Illinois is not like playing a game of chess. The governor touts saving the children of this state by putting families first but does the complete opposite with his inexplicable inaction on much needed reforms.

By refusing to work in good faith and compromise, the governor and his allies in the General Assembly have spent more time pitting communities against one another. It has taken us 20 years to get to this point on school funding reform and we can only solve this issue together in a bipartisan fashion.

This is not about a win for Chicago, nor is it about a loss for Southern Illinois. This is about providing adequate dollars for all schools and future generations. The longer it takes to realize this the longer our students will suffer under a broken system.

So, let’s not fight about this, instead, let’s make fundamental changes. Wholeheartedly, I would like to believe the governor has our children and schools in his best interest. Unfortunately, today’s veto proves otherwise. We need to save our schools and our students.”

Illinois State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) expressed her congratulations to all the recent high school graduates who are able to attend college thanks to scholarships from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

“This is a great example of the state doing something positive for young men and women’s lives,” said Hunter. “They’ve been through so much and still managed to excel through the many obstacles they’ve faced. I appreciate the state’s efforts in encouraging young people to take the next step.”

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services awarded 53 students a four-year scholarship to any public university. Out of the nearly 250 applicants, the winners were selected based on academic achievement, community involvement and an essay.

Senator Mattie Hunter (D- Chicago) issued the following statement regarding Christine Radogno’s decision to step down as Republican Leader:

“Leader Radogno has not only been a leading public servant, but she has been an outstanding role model for legislators on both sides of the aisle,” Hunter said.

“Her time as a state senator has been truly beneficial for the state of Illinois. Her willingness to extend a hand to the other side of the aisle is truly commendable. She has been a huge piece in our political puzzle I am sad to see her leave. I appreciate her bipartisan efforts and I wish her all the best.”

Today, members of the Senate’s Executive Committee called a special hearing to question a Rauner administration agency head over a questionable contract to streamline a state employee health insurance process. Central Management Services Director Michael Hoffman was asked to testify about the deep concerns expressed by State Senator Mattie Hunter (D- Chicago) and other legislators surrounding previous mismanagement and poorly executed actions of the agency.

The subcommittee took place after the Associated Press reported that Governor Bruce Rauner’s administration purposefully ignored state guidelines aimed to encourage minority-owned business opportunities. The investigation also revealed that the administration awarded the contract to Georgia-based Morneau Shepell, a suspected favored contractor.

“While there are number of issues with the online employee benefits system, the initial procurement procedures are also extremely alarming considering the guidelines for minority-owned businesses were left out,” said Hunter. “Minority-owned businesses are a huge part of the economic and social progress of the American workforce. It’s a shame we have a governor that campaigns on growing businesses in the state of Illinois but makes it harder for minorities to succeed.”