Budget decision now formally in Ill. governor’s hands

By Christopher Wills

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Thirteen days after the old state budget expired, a new one officially landed on Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s desk, but he offered no hints Monday on how quickly he will decide whether to accept or reject it.

The state comptroller and several lawmakers urged him to act soon, saying any delay hurts schools that are waiting for financial aid and private companies waiting to be paid for doing business with the state.

“We’re already way past when we needed to have a budget,” said Rep. Gary Hannig, D-Litchfield. “The clock is ticking, and it’s not really fair to the school districts and vendors.”

Spokeswoman Rebecca Rausch said there was “not a lot I can say right now” about the Democratic governor’s plans. She agreed the budget should be resolved as soon as possible but said Blagojevich and his staff need time to review the 1,400-page spending plan.

Lawmakers approved the $59 billion budget on Friday, but they didn’t formally send it to the governor until Monday.

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Even before lawmakers voted, Blagojevich was criticizing their budget as technically flawed, loaded with pork and silent on the issues of road improvements and health care.

Rausch said Blagojevich still objects to the plan.

“The way it’s written now, we can’t work with it,” she said. “We’re researching our options.”

She wouldn’t discuss the governor’s plans for a different budget measure, a supplemental appropriation with money for families of slain soldiers, hospitals that treat the poor and raises for state officials.

Lawmakers approved the bill two months ago, but Blagojevich has never signed it or vetoed it. Unless he acts now, it becomes law Tuesday without Blagojevich’s signature.

Blagojevich could use his amendatory veto power to remove legislative pay raises as a way to punish lawmakers who have rejected his budget proposals. But that might anger his remaining allies in the General Assembly.

“I just can’t discuss it with you right now,” Rausch said.

Senate President Emil Jones, D-Chicago, urged Blagojevich to let the raises take effect. He also said there’s no hurry to act on a new state budget because a court order ensures that state employees will continue to be paid this month.

“I don’t know what all the hoopla is about,” Jones said.

But Comptroller Dan Hynes’ office called it “critical” for the governor to act quickly.

Tens of millions of dollars in bills go unpaid every day because the state has no budget, said spokeswoman Carol Knowles. Schools have missed $170 million in aid payments already and will miss another $170 million on Aug. 20. Paychecks will continue going out only through the end of August.

“He needs to act on the budget now, today, without delay,” Knowles said.