Illinois Lawmakers Fail To Free Up Colleges' Money

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March 03, 2016

This Feb. 7, 2014 photo shows a student walking on the campus of Chicago State University in Chicago. The university will skip spring break this year and finish the school year early to save money as it continues to wait for state funding. University President Thomas J. Calhoun said in a memo Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016 to faculty and students that spring break will be skipped and the spring semester will end early. Illinois' public universities and community colleges haven't received state money since summer because of the budget stalemate. (M. Spencer Green/AP)

Democrats in the Illinois statehouse failed Wednesday to override Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner's veto of a bill to aid low-income students. The state's eight-month budget impasse caused funding to dry up for numerous public programs, including higher education, but the bill would have freed up $721 million for community colleges and scholarships.

The latest political fight comes with Illinois's March 15 primary elections looming. Tony Arnold of WBEZ talks with Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson about how this latest skirmish may play out politically and what it may mean for the future of the state's students.

Guest

Tony Arnold, state politics reporter for WBEZ in Chicago. He tweets @tonyjarnold.

This segment aired on March 3, 2016.

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Illinois Lawmakers Fail To Free Up Colleges' Money

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