“This is a slap in the face of every student, parent, teacher and taxpayer in Chicago. The governor said he supported 90 percent of this plan. The only part he didn’t like was the part that helped Chicago schools. He rejected 20 years’ worth of work and progress toward badly-needed reform because the only thing he wants is to see Chicago schools suffer. His lone condition for signing laws is that Chicago teachers must lose their jobs and Chicago students must get less.

“This man has a problem amplified by the fact that he’s our governor. This is a man who claims to cry when he visits Chicago schools. I think it is clear those are the crocodile tears of a politician living on the lunatic fringe. I would encourage my colleagues in the General Assembly to put a stop to this madness and override this illogical and immoral veto.”