On windswept state fairgrounds today while pushing for a private path forward to improve the Illinois State Fairgrounds Governor Bruce Rauner shook hands with and chatted for just a moment with 4 members of the State FFA. The same FFA that benefits from the ag education line item that in his proposed FY 17 budget is zeroed out.

Rauner says that his goal is more funding for education – but he wants to get past specific line items, granting more control to local schools.

So Rauner’s budget zero’s out the line item for the second straight year, eliminating a source of funding for ag education, funding was restored to a baseline of just over $1.8 million in FY 16.