Illinois House Democrats are introducing a 2016 budget they say cuts spending more modestly than Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner's proposal.
The majority party filed legislation Monday for a roughly $36 billion budget.
Rep. Ken Dunkin is chairman of the higher education appropriations committee. He says colleges and universities will lose less state funding under Democrats' plan than Rauner proposed in February. The governor called for slashing higher education funding by about $400 million.
General Services Appropriations Chairman Fred Crespo says spending on parts of the budget his committee oversees is slightly less than last year.
Illinois faces an approximately $6 billion deficit in the budget year that begins July 1.
Rauner proposed plugging the hole entirely by slashing spending. Democrats want a tax increase so cuts would be less severe.
