SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Latest on actions taken by the Illinois Legislature Thursday (all times local):

3:50 p.m.

The Democratic-led Illinois House passed legislation to allocate nearly $3.7 billion dollars for colleges and various human service programs amid criticism from Republicans who called it a pre-primary sham because the state has no money.

Democrats unveiled the proposal late Wednesday evening, angering Republicans who said they were not consulted. Gov. Bruce Rauner’s budget office sent a letter to House lawmakers before the vote saying he opposes the Democrats proposal. It would forgive repayment of $454 million taken from special state funds and earmark about $2.9 billion in general fund revenue. Federal money would bring the total to $3.7 billion.

Illinois has been operating without a budget since July 1 and Republicans insisted the Democrats’ idea was an empty promise ahead of the March 15 primaries.

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2:40 p.m.

The Illinois House has approved a plan to restore an elected school board for Chicago Public Schools.

The Democratic-led House approved the measure 104-4 Thursday. The plan now heads to the Senate.

Rep. Rob Martwick— a Chicago Democrat and sponsor of the plan — said it gives parents, teachers and students more say in how schools facing financial crisis are governed.

The district elected school board members until a 1995 reform that gave the city’s mayor power to appoint the board.

The plan would divide the city in to 20 districts. Candidates would run for a 21-member school board starting with the 2018 primary election. The board chairman would run citywide.

The plan restricts elected members from having contracts with CPS and giving campaign contributions to school board candidates.

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The bill is HB557.

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12:35 p.m.

The Democrat-led Illinois Senate has approved a measure that would allow an outside arbitrator to settle state-employee wages and working conditions if union negotiations reach an impasse.

The legislation passed by a 38-17 vote Thursday and now heads to Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s desk. He vetoed an identical proposal last year.

Republicans say the plan is “bad policy” that would put terms of new contracts in the hands of a union-friendly arbitrator. But Democrats say the plan would avoid a strike or lockout.

The state’s contract for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees expired June 30. They are Illinois’ largest state employee union.

Negotiations between Rauner and the group have stalled after more than a year of talks.

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10:45 a.m.

The governor’s office says a new attempt by Illinois Democrats to fund colleges and tuition grants for low-income students is disingenuous because there’s no money for it.

Gov. Bruce Rauner’s budget office said in a letter to lawmakers Thursday that what they’re calling a compromise would plunge the state further into debt and is a “giant step backward.”

House Democrats are considering two bills Thursday to allocate money for tuition grants and colleges, which haven’t received funding since July 1 when the current-year budget should’ve taken effect. Part of the proposal would be funded by forgiving repayment of state funds that were borrowed last year from other special funds.

The proposals come a day after Democrats failed to override Rauner’s veto of a $721 million measure for colleges and tuition grants.