SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Gov. Rod Blagojevich approved most of a new state budget Thursday, 23 days after the old budget expired, but he vetoed $463 million in spending.

In a release, Blagojevich said he is “removing almost $500 million in special pet projects and other spending that we simply can’t afford.”

Those cuts go back to the General Assembly for lawmakers to consider, but Senate President Emil Jones has promised to block any effort to overturn the vetoes.

The rest of the roughly $59 billion budget becomes law, ending months of gridlock that had delayed some state checks and threatened to hamper government services if it continued.

The budget includes an increase of $597 million, or 9 percent, for elementary and secondary schools. It depends largely on natural growth in state revenues during the coming year, as well as ending a handful of tax breaks for business.

It does not have any major tax increases or gambling expansions, two of the many ideas discussed in the long months of bickering over the budget.

Blagojevich also renewed his promise to add government health programs that legislators had refused to support. He plans about $500 million in new or expanded services despite questions about whether he has the money or the legal authority.

“While I’m pleased that we’re making a record investment in education, families across the state are still being priced out of health coverage and don’t have a way to see a doctor when they need to,” the Democratic governor said.

Blagojevich said he cut $141 million in legislative “add-ons,” $306 million from state agencies and nearly $16 million from constitutional offices. He gave no indication of how he chose each particular cut, but did say some of the legislative projects “had little to do with the core mission of state government.”

The examples he offered include improvements to a volleyball court, a drill team and planning funds for an arboretum.

In March, Blagojevich proposed the largest tax increase in state history to fund an ambitious agenda for health care, education and debt reduction. That launched months of arguments with lawmakers, who did not share his fervor for health care or his interest in a major business tax.

The disagreements pushed the Legislature into a record-breaking overtime that has never truly ended. Lawmakers left Springfield after sending a budget to the governor, but they plan to return soon and work on funding for Chicago transit systems and state construction projects, as well as consider the governor’s budget vetoes.

Unable to agree, officials let the old budget expire July 31. State paychecks continued going out, thanks to a court order, but the impasse blocked payments to schools, Medicaid providers and companies doing business with the state.