Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez has asked a federal court to force the state of Illinois to pay $18 million the county says it's owed for a child-support enforcement program.
The action is a response to the state budget impasse in Springfield that's left Illinois without a budget for fiscal year 2016.
Alvarez argues the state and the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services haven't reimbursed the money it costs to operate the program.
The 13-page motion to intervene was filed this week in a related case dating back to 1992. It led to a consent decree on state payments. A hearing on the motion is set for March 17.
