CHICAGO – Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner announced he’s willing to help Chicago Public School out of its massive teacher pension crisis, if city officials are willing to help convince Democrats in the General Assembly to pass collective bargaining reforms.

Rauner told the media Chicago officials want the state to allow them to remove discussions over teacher pensions from collective bargaining negotiations, a move that would allow the city to force teachers to cover most of their 9 percent contribution towards their pensions, the Associated Press reports.

Currently, the city pays teachers’ portion of the retirement costs.

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Meanwhile, Illinois lawmakers approved a bill in the state Senate Tuesday to freeze property taxes and contribute $200 million toward pension costs for Chicago teachers. That bill is now in the state House, where its future is uncertain, according to the Chicago Tribune.

CPS is in the midst of a $1 billion budget shortfall and negotiations with the infamously militaristic Chicago Teachers Union have deteriorated in recent days.

The union is apparently solely focused on a solution from Springfield to the district’s budget crisis, while CPS CEO Forrest Claypool is seeking concessions from the union.

“We are concerned because we were very close to finalizing something that would have given the city and school district a year to stabilize its finances and allow us time to collaborate on how best to get relief from Springfield and look at a series of revenue options. That rug was pulled out from under us,” CTU President Karen Lewis said at a recent press conference, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Lewis also alluded to the possibility of a teachers strike. The last one, in 2012, lasted for more than 10 days and devastated the city.

Rauner told the media this week state officials “are eager to help Chicago Public School … we’re eager to help the city of Chicago,” but Emanuel has “been unwilling to help us in our reform agenda to help the state.”

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Rauner wants Emanuel to leverage his political influence to convince House Speaker Michael Madigan to back collecting bargaining reforms that would allow local municipalities and school districts to set the parameters of negotiations.

“At this point Mayor Emanuel has made a number of requests of our administration and of the state government to assist the city of Chicago, and there’s not a single request that he’s made so far that we haven’t said that we are willing to pursue,” Rauner said Thursday in Chicago, according to the Sun-Times.

“At this point the city of Chicago and the mayor have been unwilling to help us in our reform agenda to reform the state. And this has got to be a two-way partnership. This has got to be mutual, effective reform. It can’t be one-way. And we can’t make requests upon the state of Illinois and state taxpayers to help Chicago if Chicago is unwilling to help the state help its taxpayers, help its school children, help its recipients of services.”

Emanuel barked back Thursday evening on WTTW’s “Chicago Tonight,” making it clear he doesn’t appreciate Rauner’s “finger-pointing and name-calling,” according to the site.

He also offered Rauner some political advice.

“I mean two weeks ago, the governor said that with me and (Senate President) John Cullerton, he’d get a deal already. Now, I’m the problem this week,” Emanuel told “Chicago Tonight,” according to the Tribune. “I don’t look at those things as news items or by trying to use people. … Don’t call any names, don’t point any fingers, build trust and confidence so you can share ideas.”

Emanuel said that if the governor’s goal was to turn him against Madigan, “That’s not going to be a successful effort,” the Sun-Times reports.

Emanuel and CPS CEO Claypool believe it’s unfair that the state picks up teachers’ portions of their pension contributions, while that responsibility is left to the city for CPS educators. Rauner doesn’t believe it’s fair to allow CPS negotiators to remove pension contributions as a subject of bargaining without giving the rest of the state the same freedoms.

“That’s a special deal for Chicago,” Rauner said at a news conference at the Thompson Center. “Why does Chicago ask the state to take things out of collective bargaining to benefit Chicago, but it doesn’t allow the state to authorize all communities, all school districts, to manage collective bargaining as they see fit?”

Rauner said Chicagoans like Madigan and Emanuel hold the keys to fixing the state’s finances.

“The city needs to help the state,” Rauner said, according to the Tribune. “The mayor is very powerful in the legislature, more than folks like to talk about. And Speaker Madigan is right out of the Chicago machine. … Chicago’s running the state. They’re controlling our budget. Chicago is powerful.”