 Last month, Gov. Pat Quinn issued an executive order that mandated
24 furlough days for his staff and 2,700 nonunionized state workers.
A top Quinn aide said at the time that the governor ordered the
furloughs in anticipation of the federal government tightening the
flow of funding to states.
Illinois was set to lose out on $750 million in increased
reimbursements for Medicaid, the joint federal-state public health
insurance program for the poor and disabled.
But new legislation passed by the U.S. Senate last week could
provide Illinois with more than $500 million in Medicaid funds and
$415 million toward public education. The U.S. House of
Representatives is scheduled to vote on the legislation on Tuesday.
The state aid package looks likely to pass the House and become
law under President Barack Obama. Even if that happens, Quinn said
he may not back down from the ordered 24 days of furloughs.
"I will review everything, once we get the money. I think it's
worthy of review, but I don't want to make any commitment right now
because we have to tighten our belt across state government," he
said.
Quinn also pointed out that he took 12 furlough days last year
and, as of now, will also take 24 furlough days this year.
Quinn is vying with state Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington, for the
governor's office in November's general election.
Brady said the order on furloughs is a wrong approach to fixing
the state budget, which is an estimated $13 billion in the red.
"It was done without regard to the impact on the state budget and
the services the state must provide. It's a fourteenth hundredths of
one percent reduction out of a $13 billion-budget gap," Brady said
in a statement.
Jim Duffett, executive director for the Illinois Campaign for
Better Health Care, said if the federal legislation passed, the $500
million of Medicaid money would help all parties involved with
health care.
"This amount of money will fill a much-needed hole, not only for
the state budget; it'll provide help for the vulnerable people who
rely on Medicaid and stabilize the health care providers who provide
those much-needed services," he said.
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Under the federal stimulus package passed in February 2009,
Illinois received an enhanced rate of return on Medicaid that was
set to expire this December. The federal proposal under
consideration would ramp down the enhanced rate of return for the
first six months of 2011.
The $415 million in education money would likely be disbursed
through the Illinois State Board of Education to school districts,
according to ISBE spokesman Matt Vanover.
The federal legislation is geared toward retaining teachers and
other school employees and preventing further layoffs.
Vanover added that the money would help after the Quinn
administration cut ISBE's money for this budget year by $311 million
compared with last budget year. State government also has $1.3
billion in bills that haven't been paid to public schools.
"Any additional funds would be greatly appreciated," Vanover
said.
Illinois will try to capture $400 million in additional education
funds when top ISBE officials travel to Washington, D.C., later this
week to support the state's application in the Race to the Top
contest.
The federal Department of Education is using competitive Race to
the Top grants to provide incentives to state legislatures and
administrators to enact education reforms.
[Illinois
Statehouse News; By KEVIN LEE]
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