Agencies say Illinois' unpaid bills are crippling

CHAMPAIGN -- Social service agencies say the biggest immediate problem they see in Gov. Pat Quinn's budget plan is the $3.9 billion in unpaid bills it will not cover.

Both public and private agencies said Friday that they need the money the state owes them.

Julie Pryde is the administrator at the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District. She says the state owes her office almost $2 million. The money covers things like restaurant inspections and TB treatment.

Pryde says the wait for state money is crippling.

David Jensen of Lutheran Social Services of Illinois says his agency has been paid about $2 million for the more than $8 million of state work it's done the past eight weeks.