On Wednesday, Governor Bruce Rauner signed a bill, which will prevent lawmakers from earning additional expense money, while they are in Springfield for a special session. This bill will prevent the automatic increases in their daily expense money and mileage allowances. The bill will also stop the automatic increases to the lawmakers’ salaries. Those lawmakers in Springfield will continue to collect $111 in daily expense money, because they were called into a special session by Governor Rauner, to deal with the school funding situation. If Rauner did not sign this bill, lawmakers would have automatically increased their daily expense funds from $111 to $142-per day automatically. Senator Melinda Bush of Grayslake, stated on Wednesday that the special sessions Rauner has demanded are expensive and costing taxpayers close to $48,000-per day. She did add that she is pleased Rauner signed her measure to prevent the wage increase, so it will not cost taxpayers as much. Bush was the one who led the Senate in House Bill 643 to freeze lawmakers’ rates. The General Assembly did start its 1st series of special sessions on Wednesday, to address a school funding reform. Although there is money in the budget for Kindergarten through 12th grade education, but none of it will be passed out to schools until a new school aid formula is enacted. Senate Bill 1 was approved by lawmakers in May to revise the new funding formula, but it never reached to Rauner’s desk. Rauner stated that he will rewrite the bill, using his amendatory veto powers, because it unfairly benefits Chicago schools in the state. Rauner has also refused to outline his proposed changed to the bill. He says he won’t do anything until SB 1 is sent to his desk, so he can rewrite it.