State government shutdown begins; 1-month budget on table
Illinois has no means to pay its bills as of Wednesday, but legislative Democrats are pushing a one-month plan that would at least cover medical costs for the poor, send funds to caretakers for the disabled and feed prison inmates.
But that proposal is far from a sure thing as lawmakers and Gov. Bruce Rauner continue to battle over an incomplete budget that robs the state of the ability to spend money starting Wednesday morning.
How long the war will last is anyone's guess.
Rauner has authorized state spending to allow schools to open in August and to keep road construction going through the summer, easing some of the immediate financial pressure facing Illinois.
Beyond that, the state isn't supposed to be cutting checks for new bills after July 1 without a budget in place.
Democrats' latest plan would spend about $2.3 billion on so-called essential state services until July 31 while the political battle rages.
It would pay some of the July bills of local agencies that care for disabled people, among other things.
But the plan requires 71 votes in the Illinois House, the same number of Democrats in the chamber. A vote is possible Wednesday, but it's not clear all Democrats would vote yes or be present in Springfield for the day.
State Rep. Jack Franks, a Marengo Democrat who voted against his party's budget last month, said he's inclined to vote for the stopgap measure.
But he doesn't think Democrats will succeed because of the number of votes needed. Franks said Republicans could go along and help approve a one-month budget.
"I don't think they want to wear the jacket for closing the government," Franks said.
Democrats in the Senate have more members, so it could be easier for them to approve a short-term plan.
State Rep. Ed Sullivan, a Mundelein Republican, said approving a temporary fix would only put off progress on a full budget.
"If we do it once, now we're going to continue to do it," Sullivan said.
In the meantime, people who depend on state services will have to sit back and watch. Human services groups that care for the elderly, disabled and poor from across the state sent a letter to Rauner saying they'll be hurt the worst if a budget impasse goes for months.
"Without a fully funded budget in place by July 1st, the children and adults who rely on the services many of our organizations provide, as well as those services provided directly by the state, will ultimately be the ones who shoulder the consequences," the letter reads.
The governor told state workers Tuesday he wants them to be paid on time, even if lawmakers haven't approved it.
Many state employees could miss a paycheck in mid-July if a state budget deal isn't worked out or there's no legal order to have them paid.
Rauner's office contends payroll can be met because the state would run afoul of federal law if paychecks didn't go out.
"This is going to be a stressful time for your families," Rauner said in a message to state workers Tuesday. "I apologize for that."
The governor has sought to keep the heat on Democrats after he vetoed most of their budget last week. He wants them to approve his policy agenda - including a two-year property tax freeze - before he'll talk about state tax hikes to fill a more than $3 billion budget hole for next year.
"What we can't do is only raise taxes," he said.