Rauner wants to set spending record on roads, bridges
Gov. Bruce Rauner said Tuesday he wants the state to set a spending record on roads and bridges during his term in office.
Rauner told the Illinois Asphalt Pavement Association at a lunch speech that infrastructure is key to the state's economic growth.
"We are going to put more money into our infrastructure in the next four years than has ever been done in Illinois," Rauner said.
The state faces a $1.6 billion budget deficit this year and several programs are starting to run out of money months before the June 30 year end.
Funding is expected to run out, for example, in the program that pays for court reporters at the end of March, and Rauner says he's been working with top legislative Democrats to agree to a solution.
Rauner didn't take questions from reporters after the event about how the state would pay for more road construction or fix the court reporters problem, saying he'd take questions at his next event in Greenville, an hour south of Springfield.