Legislators will be back in Springfield next week, on Wednesday just days before the new fiscal year begins on July first. The House and Senate will both be in session. It'll be the first meeting of the General Assembly since lawmakers recessed at the end of May without passing next year's budget. They never passed one for the fiscal year that's ending, either.
The political stalemate has had negative effects on Illinois' business climate, forced cash-starved social service agencies to shut down, left Illinois with a lower credit rating, and chased away university students and professors.
Lately, Gov. Bruce Rauner has been warning of potential prison shutdowns and halted road construction. But he tells Crain's Chicago Business he and Democrats are "very close" on a temporary, six-month budget.
"We're within tens of millions of dollars on the stopgap budget."
Spokesman for the Democratic leaders of the House and Senate gave no indication there's a set deal. But legislators have been in private talks.
