Ill. Senate to take up budget as deadline nears

SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Senate is expected to advance a 2015 budget as the Legislature moves closer to adjourning its spring session.

Lawmakers return to the Capitol on Thursday with the $37.5 billion budget and several other issues on their agenda.

Among them is whether to ask voters in November if Illinois should impose an additional tax on millionaires. The non-binding referendum is an effort by Democrats to increase turnout among their base.

Legislators also could approve spending an additional $1.8 billion in the current fiscal year.

But the biggest issue remains the 2015 budget, which passed the House on Tuesday.

It keeps spending flat for schools and most agencies next year, but could lead to layoffs, facility closures and a postelection extension of Illinois' temporary income tax increase.