Illinois lawmakers have two weeks to get together a spending plan. Officials from cities across the state are going on the offensive to keep lawmakers from balancing the budget by raiding their pockets.

The Civic Federation, a Chicago-based fiscal watchdog group Wednesday said Governor Bruce Rauner’s budget proposal is unrealistic and relies on money that may never come through. The group’s report calls it “precariously balanced”.

Daisy Contreras talked to leaders at the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability and The Civic Federation to learn about their insights on the state's first spending plan in more than two years.

On the 21st: Today is the last scheduled day for state lawmakers and the 700th day without a state budget. We spoke with Civic Federation President Laurence Msall on what an ideal state budget proposal would look like. We also spoke with faculty and a student from Northeastern Illinois University about 180 layoffs that will begin this summer. 

In his latest Illinois Issues column, Charlie Wheeler offers his take on Governor Rauner's quest for what he calls a "truly balanced budget."