 Quinn said Monday they need to return to the state Capitol to
"confront reality."Quinn plans to talk to the state's top four
legislative leaders about this return to the Capitol when they meet
on Wednesday.
Lawmakers went home from their spring session without passing a
budget that fully funds state government. Quinn wants them to pass
an income tax increase to avoid deep cuts in human services.
The Democratic governor won't say how long he expects lawmakers
to remain on the job, but he said they have other unfinished issues
to deal with besides the budget.
Quinn's office, meanwhile, is warning that it would have to slash
spending by $9.2 billion under a budget proposed by Illinois
lawmakers.
Most of the cuts would fall on services that state government
provides through local groups, from medicine for senior citizens to
foster care for abused children.
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The estimate released Monday is the administration's most detailed
analysis of the spending plan that legislators approved after
failing to agree on new sources of revenue.
Illinois government faces a massive deficit. Quinn proposed
closing that gap with a combination of spending cuts, budget
maneuvers and tax increases.
Lawmakers wouldn't agree to most of his ideas and instead passed
a budget that doesn't cover the cost of providing many government
services.
[Associated Press]
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