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Quinn signs new Illinois budget

Susan Stephens
/
WNIJ

The $33.7 billion dollar budget is $57 million dollars less than the budget lawmakers sent him. As promised, the governor is moving to close several state facilities, including Rockford's Singer Mental Health Center.? 

Pat Quinn's office says Singer will close in the fall.  The administration is also moving forward with plans next month to shutter the Tinley Park mental hospital. Officials say the state wants to focus more on community-based care, as opposed to institutional care.

The governor also says he just can’t see spending millions to fund old prisons at Tamms and Dwight, so he’s closing them, along with several other adult transition centers and juvenile facilities, including one in Joliet.  He wants to reallocate some of that money to DCFS, the Department of Children and Family Services.

Lawmakers cut funding to DCFS by 50 million dollars.

Quinn says those cuts were too deep.

"Are we going to keep outdated, half-full facilities? Or, are we going to invest and make sure we protect vulnerable children who are in danger of being neglected and hurt" Quinn said.

Governor Quinn will have to work with lawmakers to reallocate those funds in the fall veto session