Gov. Bruce Rauner prepares closures, spending cuts - News - Journal Standard - Freeport, IL

 

• SPRINGFIELD -- Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration said Tuesday it is looking at raising co-payments for subsidized day care, closing youth prisons and state museums and grounding state airplanes if a balanced budget isn’t approved.

  The actions outlined in a news release from the administration late Tuesday afternoon are just the first of “many additional steps” it said it will be taking to deal with a state spending plan the administration said is nearly $4 billion out of balance.

  The Republican administration referred to the spending plan as the “Madigan-Cullerton budget” after House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton, both Chicago Democrats.

  The administration said the deficit contained in the Democrats' spending plan for the fiscal year that starts July 1 is more than double the hole that lawmakers had to plug in the current state budget. They approved fund sweeps and other measures this spring to fill that gap.

  “With the upcoming Madigan-Cullerton budget deficit more than double that of last year, a midyear solution is not possible at this time,” the administration said in its statement. “The administration must immediately begin taking steps to managing state spending.”

  Although lawmakers in both the House and Senate approved the spending plan for fiscal 2016, the bills have never been formally conveyed to the governor for his action. Rauner previously said he would not sign the budget because it is out of balance.

  Madigan and Cullerton have both said they want to continue working with Rauner to produce a balanced budget. Both have said the state needs to find additional revenue rather than balance the budget through cuts alone.

  Rauner, though, said lawmakers have to approve components of his "Turnaround Agenda" before he will talk about revenue increases. The agenda includes items like workers' compensation reform, a property tax freeze and term limits for lawmakers and state officials.

  Legal move?

  Cullerton spokeswoman Rikeesha Phelon said Democrats are willing to work with Rauner if he wants to work with them.

  “The plan passed by the General Assembly is a statement of our priorities to provide vital services and invest in the middle class,” Phelon said in a statement. “If the governor shares that goal, then he is invited to work with us to develop a full plan to fund our shared priorities in education, public safety and community services. Unfortunately, today’s actions signal that the governor would rather slash child care, services for troubled youth and senior care rather than work on a bipartisan budget solution.”

  SEIU Healthcare Illinois issued a statement saying the eligibility restrictions the administration wants to impose on the Department on Aging’s Community Care program “likely contradict Illinois law.”

  Page 2 of 3 - The administration said it will file emergency rules to enact means testing for the program. It said no income eligibility currently exists.

  Among the other spending cuts, the administration wants to end the state portion of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program on July 1. About $170 million in federal money will continue to be distributed.

  “This will definitely affect hundreds of thousands of families across the state,” said Dalitso Sulamayo, president and CEO of the Illinois Association of Community Action Agencies. “We are looking at about 171,000 households that will be affected.”

  Museums affected

  At the Illinois State Museum in Springfield, one of five state museums the administration said it will "begin the process to suspend operations and close," all questions were referred to the Department of Natural Resources.

  DNR spokesman Chris Young said “the exact date operations will be suspended has not been established yet. Additional details are still being worked out.”

  He said 68 people would be laid off if the five museums closed. In addition to the museum in Springfield, DNR operates the Dickson Mounds site in Lewiston and sites in Lockport, Chicago and Rend Lake.

  Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity

  Immediate suspension of all future incentive offers to companies for business attraction and retention. This includes EDGE Tax Credits, Large Business Attraction Grants, Employer Training Investment Program Incentive Grants and Prime Sites Grants.

  Will defer application approvals for film tax credits and High Impact Business designations. All commitments previously made in any of these programs will be honored.

Department of Juvenile Justice

Begin the process of identifying one or two juvenile correctional facilities for closure. Juvenile system has a surplus of capacity. Capacity at approximately 1,200 beds, with less than 700 occupied.

Department of Corrections

Begin the process of closing the Hardin County Work Camp. Approximately 180 inmates will be moved. Approximately 60 Work Camp staff affected.

Department of Healthcare and Family Services

Implement an audit review of nursing home reimbursements to ensure payments comply with recently implemented new rate structure.

Recover overpayments to nursing homes and implement financial penalties for improper billings.

Department of Human Services

DHS will pursue cost control strategies through emergency rules to the Childcare Program, including increasing copays for parents using the program and freezing intake and creating waiting lists.

DHS will also begin background checks for relatives providing child care. Background checks are currently required for child care licensed centers, group homes and non-relatives who provide care.

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Department of Natural Resources

The Department will not award Open Space Land Acquisition Development Grants in FY16.

The Department will begin the process to suspend operations and close the five state museums to visitors. The state will continue to maintain and secure the museums to protect the artifacts and exhibits.

 

By Doug Finke
and Seth Richardson
GateHouse Media Illinois

Journal Standard

 

From:  Gov. Bruce Rauner prepares closures, spending cuts - News - Journal Standard - Freeport, IL