Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner says he tried to get out of his failed re-election campaign.

Illinois is one step closer to having a budget for next year — the state Senate approved a spending plan late Wednesday night.

Illinois Senate Democrats are hoping to win bipartisan support for a partial government spending plan. The proposal would release more than $800 million that’s been collected in special state accounts for higher education and human services, areas that have been particularly squeezed during the 22-month budget stalemate.

For the past 20 years, school funding in Illinois has relied heavily on property taxes, which means schools near prime commercial or residential areas thrive, while others struggle to get by. Since August, a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers has been meeting regularly to try to come up with a better way to fund public schools.