Bill proposes $1B to help cover Illinois prison expenses

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner says lawmakers need to approve a supplemental spending bill to ensure the Department of Corrections can get through the rest of the fiscal year.

The governor’s new budget director, Hans Zigmund, gave lawmakers an update on the state’s finances Wednesday. Zigmund says the income tax hike enacted over Rauner’s veto in July is bringing in more money than expected. But he says that there are still looming issues.

Zigmund says that the administration wants lawmakers to approve a total of $1.1 billion supplemental spending bill to cover “unappropriated liabilities” from the previous fiscal year. About 85 percent of the request is for expenses for the Corrections Department and for Medicaid.

The supplemental spending bill would assist in paying the bills being run up by the department.

@ 2018 WLS-AM News

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