SPRINGFIELD-Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich wants new authority to help him deal with the state’s crumbling budget.

The Democratic governor said Tuesday that he will ask lawmakers to pass an Emergency Budget Act letting him cut spending by up to 8 percent in the agencies he controls.

Once a state budget is approved, the governor has only limited power to change spending levels. Blagojevich says he and other statewide officials now need additional power if they’re going to close the budget deficit.

The request for more authority is likely to be met with skepticism by lawmakers. Few of them trust Blagojevich.

Blagojevich is also talking about borrowing money and seeking federal help to close the gap, which he estimates at $2 billion.