With no budget in place, IL Comptroller Leslie Munger says the state’s backlog of unpaid bills could reach more than $8.5 billion by the end of the year.

Right now, the state has about $6 billion worth of bills that need to be paid, but Munger expects that to grow substantially.

She says part of the problem is that consent decrees and court rulings are ordering her to make payments for about 90% of the state budget.

“We find ourselves in the position, when checks are being written, directed by the courts, there’s no consideration given to how much money we actually have in our state’s bank accounts. This is clearly a recipe for disaster, and the longer that this continues, the harder it will be for our state to regain its financial footing.”

Munger says spending at last year’s levels is a problem since revenues are expected to be down by 18% for the first half of this fiscal year.

She urges lawmakers to pass a balanced budget.

 

 

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