CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Mayor Lightfoot is still hoping changes can be made in legislation that will establish an elected school board in Chicago; but a top state lawmaker thinks there’s not much sentiment on her side right now.
Mayor Lightfoot said she hopes all sides can agree on second piece of legislation that would correct what, she said, are problems with the elected school board bill.
But, Illinois Senate President Don Harmon, of Oak Park, who helped shape the current legislation that Governor Pritzker said he will sign, said there’s broad public and political support for an elected board.
"It's hard to derail an issue that everybody has already come out in support of publically," he said. "Politically it has been proved referendum in the city, and frankly, just about every politician campaigning for election the last several years. I know I campaigned in favor of an elected school board. I believe the Speaker of the House did. I know that the Governor did, and frankly, I know that the Mayor did."
Mayor Lightfoot said the proposed 21-member board is too large and unwieldy. Harmon is convinced otherwise.
"The wisdom of the 20-member board with one member elected citywide as the chair, is that the size of the district is manageable. It is not much different than a House of Representative district," Harmon said.
Senate President Don Harmon is the guest on our At Issue program this weekend and you can hear much more Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m.
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