Illinois is into its third week without a state budget. Despite a buzz of activity at the statehouse yesterday, no real progress was made on getting one in place.
Spending plans did move on a few fronts. Democrats in the Illinois Senate voted to override a handful of Gov. Bruce Rauner's budget vetoes.
If the House does the same, Illinois would be able to pay its state troopers and to keep funding the inspector general's office and the public health department. Speaker of the Illinois House Michael Madigan did not appear confident he has the votes to make it happen.
Democratic Senator Dan Kotowksi of Park Ridge says if Illinois doesn't fund these operations, residents' lives would be endangered.
"This bill allows us to have the resources to protect our first responders, to keep them safe, to make sure they have the resources they need to do the job to keep us safe," Kotowski said.
The House took a different approach; it began advanced a piecemeal spending measure that would fund some human service needs.
The quickest budget fix -- albeit a temporary one -- would be if the governor agrees to a temporary spending plan. That passed the Senate yesterday, but Rauner has indicated he won't sign it.