The Illinois General Assembly went on recess after a session of several substantial pieces of legislation, most notably pension reform. However, they have yet to complete work on the 800-pound gorilla in the room: the annual operating budget for the state government's own operations. There is a gaping $13 billion budget deficit, an amount large enough that no amount of fiscal slight-of-hand, borrowing or other stopgap measure can paper over.
We all now wait with bated breath for the Speaker of the House, House Minority Leader, Senate President, Senate Minority Leader and Governor to hash out some sort of tentative agreement that they believe their respective caucuses and supporters will go for, at which time they will call everyone back to the state capitol Springfield, Illinois for a final vote. We're nowhere near finished yet, people.
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