Lawmakers are scrambling to avoid a shutdown of Illinois government that could be looming.
Attorney General Lisa Madigan has gone to court to challenge Illinois’ ability to pay state workers when it has no budget. That could close state government.State Representative Avery Bourne is from Raymond. She's among 16 House Republicans who have filed a plan to pay government employees.
Bourne says taking a shutdown off the table will provide stability.
“Let’s take this political football away. Let’s ensure state employees their pay will be there. Let’s avoid a government shutdown because nobody benefits if that happens, and let’s move forward.”
The proposal would make state worker pay automatic. That means the state could operate indefinitely whether there’s a budget or not.
House Democrats introduced their own proposal. It would a one-time measure to fund agencies for a few months.
