Illinois education funding has become one of the main battlefields in the race for governor between Gov. Pat Quinn and challenger Bruce Rauner.
Here's the company line from each campaign:
From the Quinn campaign: Bruce Rauner's tax plan will gut education funding by cutting the state income tax from 5 percent to 3 percent. If Rauner becomes governor, K-12 education funding will be 60 percent lower statewide than under Quinn's plan. Here are the specifics of who would lose what:
From the Rauner campaign: "The truth is Pat Quinn raised taxes by 67% and still gutted education spending by $500 million. Unlike Pat Quinn whose education cuts led to teacher layoffs and larger class sizes, Bruce will make education a top priority and fully fund our schools.."
That statement is a variation on a similar response the campaign has issued throughout the summer as Vallas has warned of education cuts at campaign stops around the state.
Whose version of the education funding scenario should you believe?
Quinn and Rauner made their voices heard Thursday, with each of them publishing an essay in the Daily Herald, outlining their economic plans and explaining why each thought the other's plan was inferior.
Each candidates also tries to discredit his opponent. (Rauner: "Unlike Pat Quinn, I'll actually live in Springfield...And unlike Pat Quinn, I'm not running just to keep my job; I'm running to make sure you can always find one." Quinn: "For all of his millions of dollars he's poured into the campaign, he hasn't bought a dime's worth of good ideas.")
