State Senator Andy Manar, a champion of education funding in Illinois, is calling Governor Rauner’s proposals at the annual budget address detrimental to schools of all levels across the state.

Governor Bruce Rauner has proposed shifting some of the burden of state pensions to local governments, including teacher pensions to local districts. Manar says that will not help the already underfunded schools in Illinois.

Manar says what Rauner is calling “pension reform” is just shifting the burden of those costs.

On a positive note, Manar says the governor called a meeting with the leaders of the Senate and House today for the first time in over a year.

Manar says more details about specific line items in the budget will come out in the next week.