Illinois state lawmakers are set to take up a plan today to close a 1 point 6 billion dollar hole in this year’s state budget. Illinois Public Radio's Patrick Smith reports.
Democrats who control the legislature and Republican Governor Bruce Rauner have been negotiating for weeks over the budget gap. And several programs are set to run out of money at the end of this month unless a deal can be reached.
So with a week to go, House Speaker Michael Madigan filed legislation Monday night to plug the hole. In Madigan’s plan, 1 point 3 billion dollars would be transferred from various funds into general revenue. That would be paired with about a 2 percent cut across the entire state budget. Madigan’s legislation goes before the executive committee this morning.