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* Riopell…
People who’ve waited more than a year for Illinois leaders to finish a state budget might start to feel like the prospects of a compromise are similar to the odds of winning the lottery.
Now, Illinois Lottery winners might — again — face the prospects of not being paid their jackpots in a timely manner if no spending deal is struck by the end of the month.
Last year, lottery winners sued the state to get their payouts and eventually did after Gov. Bruce Rauner and lawmakers agreed on a patchwork budget plan.
That plan, though, expires with the budget year on June 30. Attorney Thomas A. Zimmerman Jr., who represented about three dozen lottery winners in that lawsuit, said he’s prepared to act quickly again. […]
“Lottery prizes will continue to be paid to all winners prior to the end of the fiscal year, June 30,” spokesman Stephen Rossi said. “We encourage the majority party in the General Assembly to pass the governor’s stopgap budget proposal.”
This is just so tiring.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Jun 17, 16 @ 11:56 am
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Maybe I just wasn’t paying attention in the past but I cannot remember agencies issuing statements that are so overtly political (“We encourage the majority party in the General Assembly to pass the governor’s stopgap budget proposal.”).
Comment by Demoralized Friday, Jun 17, 16 @ 11:59 am
It’s fraud to sell tickets and advertise for jackpots when you literally do not have the legal authority to pay those prizes.
If there is no legal authority to pay prizes more than $600, than $600 should be the maximum legal prize that is advertised.
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Jun 17, 16 @ 12:02 pm
While there are much more shameful consequences that this impasse is rendering, I can’t help but be most embarrassed by this one. It is just so…pathetic.
Comment by AlfondoGonz Friday, Jun 17, 16 @ 12:03 pm
Perhaps the GA should pass the only full budget the gov introduced.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Jun 17, 16 @ 12:04 pm
So Pay lottery winners like we did this year but continue to leave homeless youth, domestic violence victims, and seniors out in the cold. What a wonderful administration we elected.
Comment by independent Friday, Jun 17, 16 @ 12:05 pm
There is no moral reason to pay lottery winners when a bunch of people aren’t getting paid. Financially, yes, there is an argument that people will reduce their lottery expenditures. However, there is currently a risk that low income elderly will die in hot jones, immobile elderly will die from lack of food( meals on wheels), lack of round the clock care(no overtime hours for care-givers), state employees are paying their medical providers for bills that the insurance should be paying, autistic children aren’t getting services, drug addicted minors aren’t getting rehab, should I go on?
Comment by Thoughts Matter Friday, Jun 17, 16 @ 12:07 pm
typos - fat fingers combined with small phone screen… elderly will die in hot homes.
Comment by thoughts matter Friday, Jun 17, 16 @ 12:08 pm
Updated Illinois Lottery slogan:
You can’t win if you don’t play … in the next two weeks.
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Friday, Jun 17, 16 @ 12:09 pm
One impressive thing with the administration as a whole, the spokespeople do stay on message.
Comment by Downstate GOP Faithless Friday, Jun 17, 16 @ 12:15 pm
=== So Pay lottery winners like we did this year but continue to leave homeless youth, domestic violence victims, and seniors out in the cold. ===
I hope Greg Harris and the others who care actually put their foot down this year and realize that the only way human services providers are going to get paid is by bringing everything to a screeching halt.
Apparently not paying lottery winners is what it takes to shame some folks into action.
Comment by Juvenal Friday, Jun 17, 16 @ 12:16 pm
“Lottery winners need to understand this is really a Madigan issue - trust me, Gov Rauner did not make $900M over his life by failing to know the plight of those with new money,” Rossi stated.
Comment by Downstate GOP Faithless Friday, Jun 17, 16 @ 12:17 pm
===We encourage the majority party in the General Assembly to pass the governor’s stopgap budget proposal.”===
This is adorable.
I’m sure Rossi spent hours and hours… waiting to be told to pass on something he didn’t write.
Plus, I’m sure Rossi bringing in the politics of it allows “ck” and others the opportunity to bring other spokespeople into the ignorance.
Ugh.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Jun 17, 16 @ 12:20 pm
Demoralized, I can’t recall agencies being so overtly political either. There may have been some examples - more likely during the Blago era, but this is pretty consistent. All govs expected agencies to help sell policy items, but it was focused on the positive ramifications from implementing or negative consequences for not adopting the policy.
Comment by Norseman Friday, Jun 17, 16 @ 12:21 pm
Based on the lede i thought this was about strip clubs…. they should just legislate some automatic approps, like paying out lottery winnings. it seems disfunctional to require a bimp on this every year
Comment by Ghost Friday, Jun 17, 16 @ 12:21 pm
Right now, you have a better chance of funding your college education buying a lottery ticket than applying for a MAP grant.
Comment by Wensicia Friday, Jun 17, 16 @ 12:21 pm
Here’s an idea:
All the people we are owed money to are assigned numbers.
Every day we have a featured internet event in which the Comptroller pulls numbered ping pong balls and announces who gets paid that day until the money is gone for that day.
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Friday, Jun 17, 16 @ 12:22 pm
===…in which the Comptroller pulls numbered ping pong balls…===
Can we bring Linda Kollmeyer back?
Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Jun 17, 16 @ 12:34 pm
All it takes it a buck and a dream…and some exceptional patience.
Comment by A guy Friday, Jun 17, 16 @ 12:58 pm
==So Pay lottery winners like we did this year but continue to leave homeless youth, domestic violence victims, and seniors out in the cold. ==
I agree with the sentiment but not as it relates to this issue. Lottery money has nothing to do with whether those things are funded or not.
Comment by Demoralized Friday, Jun 17, 16 @ 1:26 pm
Noticed at the grocery store that Mega Millions is up over $300 million. if that one doesn’t pay out in the next two weeks that could make for some interesting lottery frenzy.
Comment by hisgirlfriday Friday, Jun 17, 16 @ 1:31 pm
Mega is a separate thing
Comment by Downstate GOP Faithless Friday, Jun 17, 16 @ 1:40 pm
I’m kind of ignorant on this topic, but don’t multi-state games, such as Powerball and Mega Millions, require all of the states involved to fund a certain share of the winnings? Wouldn’t one state not paying trigger all kinds of legal ramifications with the other states, not just the winner himself/herself?
Comment by Moby Friday, Jun 17, 16 @ 2:05 pm
The Lottery funds are separate Agency funds that are handled like a business. SO the funds to pay the prizes is already in the Lottery Prize Fund, they just have to have appropriation authority to spend the money that they have on hand. The multi-state games are completely different and the funds for the prize is never held by the State of Illinois.
Comment by Fly On the Wall Friday, Jun 17, 16 @ 2:20 pm