Springfield, IL–The failure by powerful Chicago Democrats to craft and pass a balanced and Constitutional budget has caused some important projects to come to a screeching halt. In response to a recent decision to freeze capital development board construction grants, State Rep. Terri Bryant has signed on to sponsor legislation that would release funding to complete construction on the new High School in Mt. Vernon. “After hearing from school board members, administrators, parents and teachers of the Mt. Vernon Township High School, I joined my colleagues in introducing legislation that would free up construction funding to complete Mt. Vernon’s new high school,” Bryant said. “The freeze on construction funding is going to cause some very difficult financial circumstances for effected school districts.” HB 4232 makes re-appropriations from the School Construction Fund and the Capital Development Fund for ongoing school construction and improvements for fiscal year 2016. Bryant is calling on the Chicago Democratic legislative leaders to work with Governor Rauner to craft a responsible, balanced budget. Bryant says she is most concerned with potential extra costs to rebid any contractual work currently in progress at the new school. Bryant also took issue with Speaker Madigan for secretly placing money in the FY 16 budget to build a new school in his own district. “If Speaker Madigan won’t make the responsible decision, and release this bill to help complete the construction of this school, then it will cost the Mt. Vernon school district more than $1 million to rebid the work. That would just be financially devastating,” Bryant said. “I’m going to continue to call on Speaker Madigan to release this bill from the Rules committee so it can receive a vote so we can move forward with this very important project. With his record of failure running this state, if Speaker Madigan can slip in money for a new school for himself, then it is only appropriate that legislators be given the opportunity to help their school districts complete projects that were already underway and nearing completion.”