Chance The Rapper Criticizes Gov. Rauner Over CPS Funding

By Wren Hagge

CBS (CHICAGO) – Fresh from headlining Lollapalooza, Chicago native Chance the Rapper is taking aim at Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner via Twitter. Earlier this week, the Grammy winner blasted Rauner's amendatory veto of Senate Bill 1 (SB1), which removes $250 million of CPS funding.

Chance began his two-day tweetstorm on Monday by criticizing the timing of Rauner's veto, which came "all in time for the back to school parade Saturday."

Chance is set to be the Grand Marshal of the Bud Billiken Parade on Saturday Aug. 12 in Chicago.

On Tuesday, Chance brought attention to the ongoing CPS layoffs. "CPS still has to layoff 900+ employees including 356 of our teachers."

Chance then chided Chicago Mayor Emanuel and the Illinois House, as well as Gov. Rauner, for not doing more to help CPS, despite their "capabilities to fund CPS individually."

Chance concluded his tweetstorm by urging his 5.1 million followers: "Vote man. Or vote against. #supportCPS"

CBS 2 reached out to Rauner's office for comment and received no response.

Rauner has called the education bill a "bailout" for CPS at the expense of other districts in Illinois. "As written, Senate Bill 1 places the burden of the Chicago Public Schools' broken teacher pension system on our rural and suburban school districts," Rauner said in his veto message.

In March of this year, Chance and Rauner had a meeting to discuss CPS funding after Rauner vetoed a previous education plan that would have provided $215 million in state funding to CPS. Chance left the meeting saying he felt "flustered," and received "a lot of vague answers."

In:
• Chicago Public Schools