Former Gov. Pat Quinn urged Mayor Rahm Emanuel to sign a petition Wednesday that looks to impose term limits on the mayor, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Quinn is circulating a petition that pushes for a two-term limit for Chicago mayors. The former governor spoke at City Hall Wednesday during a Chicago Teachers Union rally for long-term funding solutions for public education.
After being asked what he thought Emanuel could do to improve Chicago Public Schools, Quinn pointed to the petition.
“I think he should sign our petition,” Quinn said.
Quinn also took shots at his successor, Gov. Bruce Rauner, after being asked about CPS’ dire financial situation.
Quinn said the state’s ongoing budget impasse is hurting the district and claimed Rauner’s “alibis” about the stalemate “are insufficient.”
“The people of Illinois deserve a budget and that’s the job of the governor, you know,” Quinn said. “I think Illinois right now is on four flat tires.”
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Illinois’ budget impasse will likely stretch into its second year at the start of next month. Lawmakers were unable to agree on a budget plan before the end of the spring legislative session, leaving state schools and social services in limbo.
In recent weeks, Gov. Bruce Rauner has toured to state pushing stopgap measures to fund education and other essential state services.
Additionally, the governor wrote an op-ed for the Daily Herald Wednesday claiming suburban and downstate taxpayers “shouldn’t pay for Chicago’s mess.”
“Democrats want to force suburban and downstate taxpayers to bailout CPS from years of financial mismanagement and declining student enrollment - to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars,” Rauner said in the editorial.
