News Local/State

Rauner: State Budget ‘Worse Than Discussed’

By The Associated Press, with Additional Reporting from Illinois Public Radio
 

Governor-elect Bruce Rauner was back in Springfield Tuesday.  He told reporters - not surprisingly - that Illinois’ finances are in terrible shape.

Rauner says he's spending Tuesday and Wednesday at the Capitol in Springfield. He is meeting with lawmakers and budget experts to get a better handle on the budget situation.
 
Rauner says he has been surprised to learn details of a $35.7 billion budget passed by lawmakers in May that didn't allocate enough money to cover agency expenses.

Now Rauner says the problem is even worse than it seemed.

“This is about good communication with the voters and the taxpayers," he said.  "Right now, we are discussing the challenges that we face in some more detail so the voters really understand, because the voters have been misled intentionally by the politicians."

Outgoing Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn's assistant budget director Tuesday noted that the governor proposed a different budget praised by bond rating agencies and has called the one approved by lawmakers "incomplete.''

Rauner campaigned on a pledge of lowering taxes. He says he plans to "discuss solutions in the coming months.''