taxes to income taxes. In 1998, he supported a proposal to provide direct financial relief to Catholic schools run by the Archdiocese of Chicago, amidst a broader push towards tax credits for private school tuition. In 1999, Cronin sponsored a bill that would have removed the power of Local School Councils to fire principals without the approval of central administration, but postponed further action on the bill after it became controversial. In 2002, he opposed an agreement between CPS and the Chicago Teachers Union that restored some of the bargaining rights that had been restricted under the 1995 law. In 2004, he opposed a deal in which Governor Rod Blagojevich earmarked $20 million towards the Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy, a project backed by Senate President Emil Jones, in exchange for giving the governor more power over the Illinois State Board of Education. In 2007, Cronin proposed a bill that would have reviewed the role and authority of Local School Councils, but the legislation did not move forward. In 2000, Cronin sponsored legislation that would have restricted Medicaid funding for abortions. The bill was vetoed by Governor George Ryan, a Republican who had long opposed abortion rights, prompting condemnation by Cronin and other social conservatives. In 2002, he sponsored a bill requiring the Illinois Department of Transportation to consult local communities and environmental groups on projects affecting highways. Cronin sponsored a constitutional amendment to allow voters to recall elected officials, but the proposal was blocked by Senate Democrats. In 2008, he voted in favor of a pension reform bill that required the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) to increase its pension contributions. In 2010, he co-sponsored legislation with Representative Randy Ramey that would reform DuPage County's water commission, an independent entity, by bringing it under the county's direct control. The proposal came after it was revealed that the commission had misspent around $69 million in reserve funds, with the financial administrator spending down some of those reserve funds without informing the water commission. A forensic audit revealed that missteps by the commission, the financial administrator, and the general manager caused several accounting errors that nearly depleted the reserves. The city council of Naperville joined the DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference in opposing the legislation, citing fears that the county would be taking control over municipal amenities. Cronin stepped down from the Senate on November 30, 2010, after being elected to the