LM March 2017

Four members of the legislative panel at the Alliance Leadership Summit in Springfield fielded questions from the attendees.

Talk to your employees, talk to your citizens. And talk to your legislators. We need encouragement and we need storytellers to help educate people about what’s at stake.

street (at the Capitol),” Manar said. “On this issue I think we have a lot of people on the same team, but it’s still a difficult process.” For example, Pritchard praised the bipartisan, bicameral efforts of the commission, but expressed concerns about adequately funding the plan and said that a property tax freeze must be part of any deal to increase revenues. “I am excited about the adequacy targets in the plan,” Pritchard said, referring to the 27 research-based elements that mirror those in the Vision 20/20 Evidence- Based Funding Model. “But what services are needed for schools and what do they cost? Those dollars are the key issue and how fast we can move toward those adequacy targets is probably going to be a disappointment to people. Increasing funding for a complete solution would mean a big tax increase, and property tax reform must be included if we are going to talk about increasing taxes.” Other issues that could prove to be sticking points, according to the legislators, include the hold harmless provisions, high poverty concentration and regional adjustments for wages or cost of living. “The hold harmless is a political tool to help pass the bill, but it then makes it challenging to find the dollars that are needed to put into the distribution model. It’s a very tricky proposition,” Barickman explained. “Aside from those areas, I sense widespread agreement.” After fielding questions, suggestions and requests from the audience, the legislators had a request of their own: help from educational leaders in advocating for school funding reform.

—Rep. Robert Pritchard (R-Hinckley)

“Phone your legislators and say ‘Get the job done!’ Be very simple and direct,” Manar said. Davis warned against cherry-picking certain items to oppose from the complex, interconnected pieces of the puzzle. “This is going to take collaboration,” Davis said. “There is going to have to be some give and take. The moment we go down that path of saying ‘Don’t do this or that’ it’s over.” Pritchard and Barickman both said getting some political cover to take tough votes, such as voting for a tax hike, would be helpful. “Talk to your employees, talk to your citizens. And talk to your legislators. We need encouragement and we need storytellers to help educate people about what’s at stake,” Pritchard said. “We have some very tough votes coming up. Let your legislators know they have to be statesmen this year.”

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