Rockford Sun

State Representative Joe Sosnowski, R-Rockford, expressed his concerns regarding Senate Bill 15, which was under consideration in the Illinois House of Representatives on Thursday. The bill aims to establish a hybrid plan that would elect half of the members of the Chicago School Board in November.

In his statement, Rep. Sosnowski criticized the bill, saying, “Once again kids and public education are taking a backseat to special interests and politics. Senate Bill 15 illustrates that the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) is calling the shots in the Mayor’s office. There is no doubt this legislation is designed to benefit the political apparatus of the CTU, not serve the best interests of students and families in Chicago.”

According to Rep. Sosnowski, the City of Chicago is facing various challenges due to the extreme agenda being pushed through the bill. These include massive spending on non-residents amounting to over $2 billion, diverting funds from Illinois taxpayers. Additionally, there is significant expenditure on increasing teacher salaries, despite educating fewer students with poorer outcomes. Moreover, there has been a multi-million dollar increase in property taxes, along with the advancement of a referendum to raise property taxes by an additional $100 million.

Senate Bill 15 was passed by the Illinois House of Representatives with a vote of 75-31-3. Representative Sosnowski represents the 69th District, which encompasses parts of Winnebago, Boone, and McHenry Counties.