Black: Budget will come

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July 1, 2009

BY BRIAN L. HUCHEL The Commercial-News Wed Jul 01, 2009, 09:42 PM CDT

DANVILLE — Some are concerned that state pay checks will halt in two weeks as a result of no state budget being passed Tuesday.

But longtime state Rep. Bill Black, R-Danville, is not as concerned, citing the state extending almost 45 days without a budget under former governor Rod Blagojevich.

“People still got paid and essential services continued,” Black said Wednesday.

“But this is not the way this should have been addressed,” he said. “Too many threats, too many vulnerable people hit.”

“I think (Gov. Pat Quinn) overplayed his hand.”

The General Assembly adjourned Tuesday without a state budget in place for the new fiscal year, which began on Wednesday. That led to speculation as to how long the state could last, with most early theories setting the mark at a couple weeks.

At this point, the state house and senate are not scheduled to return for a special session until July 14, according to an e-mail Black’s office received on Wednesday.

Black said Quinn had any number of options at his disposal other than focusing a plethora of potential cuts at the state’s health services and human services.

“To use the developmentally disabled, those with mental and emotional problems that need to be dealt with, alcohol and drug abuse that is ravaging our state — to use them as the pawns in intrinsically wrong,” he said.

Black said Quinn had enough money to operate the state at what he wanted to spend, possibly going as long as six months.

He added that “cooler heads will eventually prevail and we’ll get something straightened out.”

What things are straightened out, however, is of great importance to several local agencies, ranging from human services like Crosspoint Human Services and WorkSource to the Vermilion County Health Department. The health department faces the loss of five workers by mid-July without more state funds while human services are working to limp along on what currently exists.

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