Rauner makes last-ditch pitch for temporary budget on final day of session

Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration is making an about-face on the final day of spring session, suggesting that lawmakers approve a stopgap budget to keep schools, human service groups and prisons open through the summer in the hope a larger spending agreement can be worked out with Democrats who control the General Assembly.

It’s a way for Rauner to try to head off a meltdown on education funding that could lead to schools throughout the state not opening this fall. Heading into Tuesday, Democrats were poised to send Rauner a spending bill that is billions of dollars short and doesn’t come with the governor’s agenda items he has made a requirement for a broader budget deal. Rauner has vowed to veto the bill, which would mean state money couldn’t flow to school districts. Read more in the Chicago Tribune.