Without Budget, Governor Foresees 'Major Restructuring Of The Government'

NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS | By Brian Mackey

Published June 4, 2015 at 12:30 PM CDT

Gov. Bruce Rauner meets with members of his cabinet Wednesday in a state office building near the Capitol.

Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner issued a budget warning to members of his cabinet on Wednesday.Brian Mackey reports on the warning Gov. Bruce Rauner delivered to members of his cabinet.

Raunertold top officials get ready in case Illinois doesn’t have a budget in place by the state of the new fiscal year on July 1.

“We’ll be asking each one of you to review in detail your operations, your departments, and get ready for the very real possibility that we are facing (a) cash crisis, and a major, major restructuring of the government," he said. “I wish I could sit here and tell you, ‘We’ll get there for sure.’ I can’t say that. And so that puts pressure on all of you, and I apologize. … But we’ve got to prepare to run the government as best we can with the resources we have."

Rauner says Democrats passed an out-of-balance budget while refusing to consider his pro-business agenda.

Meanwhile, the Illinois House reconvenes in Springfield Thursday for what’s expected to be the first in a series of summer sessions.

They’re set to consider changes to the system by which workers are compensated for on-the-job injuries. It’s a key part of Rauner’s platform, but the governor says the House proposal doesn’t go nearly far enough.