With another $3 billion spent, who needs budget
Illinois can’t pay any bills without a state budget. It can’t pass on federal funds. It can’t distribute gambling or motor fuel tax proceeds. It can’t pay lottery winners — well, it can if the prize is less than $600. It can’t pay for road salt. It can’t pay the SEIU Healthcare Illinois insurance costs for 5,000 home health workers.
Unless a judge orders it to do so. Or a special bill is passed. Or a new loophole is found.
St. Clair County Circuit Judge Robert LeChien on Nov. 25 ordered Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner and Comptroller Leslie Munger to pay the $13.3 million owed SEIU Healthcare Illinois for 5,000 home health care workers’ health insurance premiums.
“Payment out of pocket for medical services and medication dooms the financial survival of the employees and their families. While the employees have complied with the (union contract) in all respects, the fiddle while burning posture of the other branches of State government provokes the judicial branch to act to preserve the status quo because it is necessary for the State to secure the financial stability of the SEIU Health Fund for 2015 and 2016,” LeChien wrote in his order.
LeChien gave Nero 10 days to comply with his order. Well, the state complied with two days to spare.
Rauner and statehouse Democrats also agreed to free up $3 billion in funds, most of which was taxes already collected that needed to be passed on to local governments. Yet tucked in there was $400 million Rauner requested for state agency operations such as rent, postage and operating expenses, as well as money for road salt and police training.
It is a curious mix: The state has as much road salt stockpiled as it used all last winter, and police training is a burning need?
If the lights get turned out at state offices as a local electric coop threatened, good. If the Secretary of State cannot mail renewal notices, good. If Judge LeChien had needed to put our governor and comptroller in the St. Clair County Jail for comtempt, good.
The more pressure, the more pain, the quicker the politicians come to the table. The budget is 161 days past due because state legislators must be made to agree to structural reforms that give us any hope of paying for the budget they eventually will pass.
Spending directed by bits and court orders does not further the cause.
This story was originally published December 7, 2015 at 1:00 PM with the headline "With another $3 billion spent, who needs budget."