I love to say I told you so, but usually I have to wait a little bit.
Just 13 days ago, I predicted an “interesting summer for Democratic candidates” in light of the unfolding details surrounding the forced resignation of former state Rep. Harry Benton, D-Plainfield, and specifically how each new detail affected the reputation of House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch.
Not that it took a great deal of foresight to note the water warming, but these sentences stand out as relevant:
“Democrats … have lots to say about who should lead their caucus and how that leader wields their power. It doesn’t take a huge number to be disruptive, whether during next January’s leadership election or during veto and lame duck session attempts to advance the legislative priorities that stalled this spring.”
So much of what happens in Springfield comes down to math. Yes, the Democrats have enough seats to advance whatever priorities they like, but not every blue-coded House or Senate member has the same priorities and an effective leader has to build consensus.
That reality has echoed in much of the analysis about the likelihood of the Chicago Bears pleading for a public handout to launch a real estate development in Arlington Heights.
It was always difficult to envision enough Chicago lawmakers willingly shifting sales tax revenue from their districts elsewhere in Cook County, not to mention getting Democrats across the state to sign off on nine-figure transportation projects that would only be needed to enable private development of a few hundred acres while broader efforts like the School Construction Grant Program have simply gone unfunded since fiscal 2004.
There’s similar consternation about Welch’s promise to champion additional state funding for Chicago Public Schools, which just advanced a budget that only works if the General Assembly finds an extra $150 million during the veto session, when the math is even harder because 60% is required for passage instead of the usual simple majority.
How does a speaker who isn’t effectively answering questions about his own leadership plausibly expect to get 71 Democrats to sign off on extra money for one school district that won’t take steps to deal with the realities of how student populations have shifted, leaving dozens of buildings operating well below capacity?
There are real problems with school districts statewide, but pushing this now, in apparent hopes of making Gov. JB Pritzker uncomfortable during a reelection campaign, is both bad government and bad politics: As the Bears learned, Springfield is losing its taste for huge deals with narrow benefits.
Students are more deserving than private businesses, but our kids warrant lasting solutions. Welch ought to know better, and I’m not alone in questioning his judgment.
• Scott T. Holland writes about state government issues for Shaw Local News Network. He can be reached at sholland@shawmedia.com.
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August 4, 2026 at 10:01AM
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