Illinois Medical Marijuana Director Resigns

Katelyn Baker

Well-Known Member
Speaking at a Statehouse press conference, Rauner said Senate President John Cullerton and House Speaker Michael Madigan are "threatening" to hold up Republicans leaders' stopgap budget and K-12 education funding bills unless the school funding formula changes, which Rauner and GOP lawmakers repeatedly have called a bailout for Chicago Public Schools.

The state's new fiscal year begins Friday, and lawmakers left the Capitol at the end of last month without approving a budget for next year - or coming to an agreement with Rauner on a full spending plan for the budget year that ends Thursday.

An attorney appointed previous year by Gov. Bruce Rauner to lead the IL medical marijuana program has resigned, a spokeswoman for the governor confirmed Monday. And he wants a second measure approved keeping government operating for half a year.

"This is nothing more than a backdoor bailout of the severely mismanaged Chicago Public School system", Rauner spokesman Lance Trover said in a statement.

During his speech Monday, the governor said he reached out to the state's top leaders in hopes of organizing a meeting Tuesday to discuss the bills.

The school funding bill would use existing revenue, and follows the same financial structure as the school funding bill Rauner signed a year ago. The state already pays that cost for all other districts. "It's not the fault of the people of Illinois", Rauner said, adding that bankruptcy was a better option for the district.

Senator Steve Stadelman (D) said there has been more bi-partisan agreement towards the stopgap measures but that he will be supporting a different education bill.

Rauner also chastised Mayor Rahm Emanuel for reportedly moving to gain City Council approval for the authority to buy CPS debt.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Emanuel proposed a change to Chicago's investment rules that would allow the city to buy debt from its sister agencies, like CPS, the Chicago Housing Authority and the Chicago Transit Authority, among others. "It's a failure on the part of the mayor".

Wright is an attorney who worked as assistant general counsel in the Office of the Governor prior to his appointment as director of the state's medical cannabis program, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times.

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Full Article: Illinois Medical Marijuana Director Resigns
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