An Illinois Senate hearing on payments to social service providers through court orders has delved more into finger pointing over why there isn’t a state budget.
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And that’s not the whole of it. If there is no budget in place and the state’s spending trajectory continues, it will enter the New Year January 1 owing an estimated $8.5 billion in unpaid bills.
State Sen. Daniel Biss, D-Evanston, chairman of the Human Services Committee, said he hoped the hearing would help educate the public about the true impact of the state’s financial crisis.
Knorr told university trustees at a meeting Thursday that the school will operate under the continuing state appropriation it has been using since the fiscal year started in July.
According to Munger, those expenses could account for an additional $4.3 billion in spending.
“Our state is operating in a manner that does not make sense, is not consistent with basic principles of sound government and that brokenness has consequences”, Biss said.
Munger called the situation a “recipe for disaster” that is serving no one well.
While the number fluctuates monthly depending on revenues, Munger’s office said the amount could worsen as the state figures out all the money that needs to be allocated through a budget.
Munger’s office has been in court battles over provider payments.
The mess is causing extraordinary confusion and frustration for service providers and people who need those services, Munger said.
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While Munger said she’ll do all she can, she can’t pass or approve a budget. “For the sake of our families, businesses and organizations, it is time for members of the General Assembly to sit down with the governor to find common ground and pass a balanced budget so we can fund our critical priorities”.
