Illinois begins new budget year, owes $7.5 billion
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CHICAGO (Associated Press) -
Illinois began its new budget year staring at a huge stack of old bills.
State Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka said Monday that Illinois had between $7.5 billion and $8 billion worth of old bills still left to pay when the new fiscal year began this month. That's slightly better than the total for the two previous years, when Illinois started out with about $8.5 billion in overdue bills.
When Illinois pays bills late, it means delays for the businesses and community groups that provide services to the state. They sometimes have to borrow money or cut staff to make ends meet.
It also means money from the new budget goes to paying old bills, leaving less cash for the future.
Monday, May 20 2013 5:52 PM EDT2013-05-20 21:52:14 GMT
Gov. Pat Quinn said Illinois lawmakers have a chance to make history on two fronts this month by approving a plan to fix the state's decades-old pension crisis and legalizing same-sex marriage.
Gov. Pat Quinn said Illinois lawmakers have a chance to make history on two fronts this month by approving a plan to fix the state's decades-old pension crisis and legalizing same-sex marriage.
Monday, May 20 2013 3:05 PM EDT2013-05-20 19:05:27 GMT
Former White House social secretary Desiree Rogers has been appointed to head the board of a government-supported nonprofit that promotes Chicago as a tourism and convention destination.
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Republicans call them "scandals." Democrats call them "fishing expeditions." Whatever the case, the Obama administration finds itself trying to fix three big problems this week. FOX's Bret Baier reports.
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Friday, May 17 2013 7:51 PM EDT2013-05-17 23:51:51 GMT
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn must decide if he will sign a measure allowing the use of marijuana for medical purposes after the state Senate approved legislation on Friday.
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn must decide if he will sign a measure allowing the use of marijuana for medical purposes after the state Senate approved legislation on Friday.
Faced with a trio of controversies, President Barack Obama is trying to halt a perception spreading among both White House opponents and allies that he has been passive and disengaged as unexpected developments...
President Barack Obama, seeking to regain his footing amid controversies hammering the White House, named a temporary chief for the scandal-marred Internal Revenue Service Thursday and pressed Congress to approve new...
After initially opposing the legalization of medical marijuana in Illinois, Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon now supports the bill awaiting a State Senate vote. She told Good Day Chicago why she changed her mind.
After initially opposing the legalization of medical marijuana in Illinois, Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon now supports the bill awaiting a State Senate vote. She told Good Day Chicago why she changed her mind.
An Afghan official says a bomb hidden in a parked motorcycle has ripped through a crowded bazaar in a remote region of the southern Helmand province, killing at least three people and wounding seven.
A roadside bomb struck a U.S. convoy in southern Afghanistan Tuesday, killing three American troops, while a motorcycle bomb in a crowded village market killed at least three Afghan civilians, officials said.
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