Madigan forms Illinois House panel to address school funding

Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is forming a panel to pick up where a recent commission left off revamping the state's outdated public school funding formula.

The Chicago Democrat announced the panel Thursday. He said the group will address questions left unanswered by a funding reform commission convened by Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner.

That commission concluded earlier this month that Illinois must fund its schools more equitably. But Madigan said it failed to acknowledge what he called the current formula's overreliance on property taxes.

Madigan appointed a dozen Democrats to work with Republicans. Republican House Minority Leader Jim Durkin's spokeswoman said their office hadn't been contacted yet regarding the panel.

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