Will Illinois Avoid a Budget Impasse This Year?

By Kevin Robinson in News on May 30, 2008 3:05PM

Lawmakers in Springfield expressed confidence they would have a state budget for the coming fiscal year yesterday, as the General Assembly began sending pieces of the budget to Blagojevich for approval yesterday. If the votes are any indication, it looks like state legislators are on track to finalize the budget before Saturday's deadline - avoiding another overtime session like last year's.

"The real deal is coming sooner than later," said Chicago Democrat Sen. Donne Trotter told Rich Miller. Senate Democrats pushed through a plan to pay down the state's pension debt, which now goes to the House. A funding bill for smaller state agency operations was also sent to the governor. Lawmakers are still working on a school spending bill that could put as much as $500 million into state education coffers. That amount is less than last year's $550 million, and could put a damper on Daley's plan to increase spending for the Chicago Public Schools.

There are still larger budget bills that need to be hammered out, including capital spending legislation. Blagojevich would like to see that $31 billion budget passed before Saturday, but lawmakers want to pass a basic spending bill and get back home for the weekend. Blagojevich seemed more optimistic: "I always see the glass as half full,” he told the Tribune Wednesday. “So I’m hopeful we’ll get everything done by Saturday. I’m not looking beyond that. We’re looking to get this done now.”