Governor Rod Blagojevich announced this week he is calling the Legislature into special session on July 9 to address problems with the state’s budget, and Senator Tim Bivins says he hopes the ongoing conflict can be resolved soon.

Also this week, ethics reform bills sponsored by Senator Bivins and passed by the General Assembly this spring, were sent to the Governor for consideration.

The Governor says the budget passed at the end of May has a $2 billion gap between state revenues and spending. He has called the special session for July 9 to focus on revenue proposals. If those proposals aren’t passed, then the Governor said he will call another special session July 10 to address other budget-balancing possibilities, including cutting spending on state programs and services.

Governor Rod Blagojevich announced June 24 he will cut nearly $1.5 billion from the Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 state budget passed May 31 by lawmakers, unless the House of Representatives approves several revenue sources to offset a nearly $2 billion gap between projected revenues and spending, according to Senator Tim Bivins.

The House must act by July 9, which is the date after which the state will not have the revenue to pay certain bills. State Comptroller Dan Hynes reaffirmed the time crunch, sending a letter June 26 to state officials cautioning that failure to approve a budget by July 10 could result in missed paychecks for state employees.

Senator Bivins said the Governor’s plan to reduce spending by nearly $1.5 billion is a step in the right direction. Even with the cuts, the FY 2009 budget would still have more than $1.2 billion in new spending, an increase of 4.5 percent over the FY 2008 budget.

State budget talks are still underway three weeks into the            The new boys of summer?Legislature's summer break, two Senators kicked off their tour of Illinois’ correctional facilities and several new laws will go into effect beginning July 1, according to Senator Tim Bivins.

Governor Rod Blagojevich and legislative leaders are attempting to close a $2 billion gap in proposed state spending and projected revenues. While discussions are still ongoing, it is unknown whether the General Assembly will have to reconvene in Springfield over budget matters.

Senator Bivins is urging the Governor to reduce spending and live within the state’s means; unfortunately, the Governor and Democrat leaders have shown little inclination to eliminate new and increased spending initiatives.

Work continued on the state’s budget during the second week of the General Assembly’s summer break and Senate Republicans finalized details on a statewide tour that begins June 16 to promote a long-term plan on prison facility closures, according to Senator Tim Bivins.

On June 11, Governor Rod Blagojevich and legislative leaders from three of the four caucuses – including Senate Republican Leader Frank Watson – met to discuss the state budget passed May 31. The leaders also continue to work with the Governor to negotiate a capital improvement program to address the state’s infrastructure needs in areas such as roads and schools.

Like prior discussions, the June 11 budget meeting in Chicago failed to yield significant progress in resolving a $2 billion gap in spending and state revenues for the upcoming 2009 fiscal year. The state constitution requires a balanced budget.