(The Center Square) – In debating the Trump administration’s potential closure of the U.S. Department of Education, a Republican Illinois legislator is urging Democrats to butt out.
President Donald Trump talked about closing the federal agency during the campaign. Last week, it was reported half of the department’s staff were being let go.
On the Illinois House Floor Tuesday, House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, told majority statehouse Democrats who’ve complained about Trump’s actions that it may actually be good for Illinois.
“We could actually have greater local control and flexibility,” McCombie said. “We could have reduced government and administrative costs meaning that we could reduce red tape, streamlining the processes.”
State Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur, responded that she would need some guarantees that special education, rural teacher grants and other programs don’t go away.
“But until you can guarantee me that, I could not support an end to the Department of Education,” Scherer said.
Scherer said there better not be any diversion of tax dollars if Trump closes the federal education agency.
“That there will be no vouchers to run away from funding public schools,” she said.
State Rep. Chris Miller, R-Oakland, stood up to discuss homeschooling, anticipating thousands of homeschool families taking to the capitol Wednesday morning for a hearing about a bill regulating homeschooling. He said Democrats need to clean their own house.
“Why would any responsible parent turn the educational process over to you rascals over there on the other side of the aisle,” Miller said. “Look at what you’ve done, you know, by your own statistics, about 70% of your kids can’t read or write or do math.”
The proposed Homeschool Act is scheduled for a public hearing at 8 a.m. Wednesday at the capitol in Springfield.
