State overpaid grants

The Illinois auditor general says the state Public Health Department overpaid seven grants for stem-cell research by $863,000.

Auditor William Holland says more than half of the grants given by the Blagojevich administration were for more than originally agreed. He says Public Health officials have no documentation explaining the overpayment.

The seven grants were supposed to total about $6.4 million, but the recipients instead got $7.3 million. Holland also says there's nothing to indicate the method used to determine how much Public Health would pay toward the governor's failed court defense of restrictions on violent video games.

Public Health paid 14 percent of the total bill, plus some attorney fees. Administration spokeswomen haven't returned calls for comment.