illinois budget

A report from the Civic Federation’s Institute for Illinois’ Fiscal Sustainability supports Governor Pat Quinn’s recommended $62.4 billion FY2014 Illinois state budget for balancing revenues and expenditures without borrowing and making progress toward reducing the State’s backlog of unpaid bills. However, the Institute warns that the budget proposal is only a stopgap that further demonstrates the urgent need for comprehensive pension reform. The full report includes recommendations for expanding Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act, establishing a process for the executive and legislative branches to develop a consensus revenue estimate prior to publication of the Governor’s budget, and developing a formal capital improvement plan and economic development policy.