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Illinois' Backlog of Overdue Bills to Reach $10 Billion

Money

Illinois Comptroller Leslie Munger says the state's backlog of bills may hit 10 billion dollars by the end of the year.

Even though lawmakers passed a stopgap budget...Munger says the bills are still piling up.
"When new spending authorization for the state is accounted for, we are on track to spend $2.5 billion more than we bring in over the next six months. In moving forward, we expect state payment delays to increase to about six months or longer."

Munger says they are recognizing some priorities.

"This includes non-profits that were not covered under last year's court orders or consent decrees; businesses that provide goods and services to the state in good faith for over a year and we will work closely with our colleges and universities and MAP grant students to provide what is needed to sustain them."

Munger says lawmakers and constitutional officers will have to continue to wait in line to get paid.

Back in April, Munger's office started putting paychecks for legislators and top officials in the stack of bills waiting to be paid.

She says even though a stop gap budget has been passed...she will continue the practice.

Lawmakers just recently received their paycheck from back in April.

 

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