|
 Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka reported Monday that her office ended
March with more than $5.5 billion in bills the state couldn't afford
to pay.
State agencies had their own stacks of bills, so Topinka believes
the total backlog was more than $9 billion.
She says Illinois is basically treading water financially. The state
is taking in more money from a recent income tax increase, but that
is offset by less federal aid and increased pension costs.
The backlog represents money Illinois owes to schools and local
governments, businesses that do work for the state and hospitals
that care for the poor.
Topinka's office says some of the unpaid bills date back to before
Christmas.
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