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This just in… Governor finally takes action on budget - Medicaid, School Transportation, Regional Superintends are cut

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Illinois

* 8:00 pm - I’ll post the files in a minute. This is from a Gov. Pat Quinn press release…

“Line by line, I have carefully examined the budget passed by the General Assembly and identified areas for improvement and reduction. I also re-prioritized government spending to protect our state’s core principles.

“The first step in this process was a technical review of the numbers. In assessing each line-item, I discovered and eliminated double-appropriations by more than $336 million. Next, I reduced bureaucracy costs by more than $11 million.

“I then evaluated the proposed spending against last year’s levels. The state will maintain current spending levels for school transportation by reducing the General Assembly’s proposed amount by $89 million, and returning to the amount that was spent in fiscal year 2011.

“Finally, state government must continue to address its Medicaid obligations. Neglecting our bills today only creates bigger problems tomorrow. With this in mind, I implemented a line-item cut to Medicaid in the amount of $276 million.

“From day one, I have stressed the need to invest in education by reducing high administrative costs and reallocating those funds to the classroom, particularly in early childhood education. Implementing a budget is not a one-day event, but rather a year-round process filled with robust debate and difficult decisions. Today, I enacted a fiscal year 2012 budget of $32.987 billion. Overall, I reduced the budget passed by the General Assembly by $376 million. With these reductions, I am implementing smart efficiencies that support Illinois on its continuing path to fiscal and economic recovery.”

* These are the bills he altered…

Line Item Vetoed

HB 117 AN ACT concerning appropriations

HB 123 AN ACT concerning appropriations

HB 132 AN ACT concerning appropriations

Reduction and Line Item Vetoed

HB 327 AN ACT concerning appropriations

Reduction Vetoed

HB 3717 AN ACT concerning appropriations

* 8:06 pm - Of those $376 million in vetoes Quin touted, $276 million comes from Medicaid via “cost savings through a rate cut for hospitals to reduce Medicaid liability.” The General Assembly had put off over a billion dollars in Medicaid payments without reducing rates for hospitals. Gov. Quinn added that “Expedited hospitals, which include ’safety net’ hospitals, would not be affected by any payment cycle increases resulting from this reduction.”

* Another $89 million is from school transportation, to make it level with the current fiscal year. Quinn cut transportation funding last year. Legislators tried to restore it.

* And over $11 million was cut from the regional schools superintendents, zeroing them out. The governor claimed these lines “can be funded from other state funds.” Quinn has been trying to get rid of the regional school superintendents all year.

* The rest of the vetoes, totaling more than $336 million, were for double-appropriated items contained in two separate bills. Click here to see the complete list.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jun 30, 11 @ 8:02 pm

Comments

“Neglecting our bills today only creates bigger problems tomorrow.”

Wow and I just got a letter the other day from the state employee dental provider, they finally cut a check to my dentist for a procedure from the winter of 2010.

Comment by Concerned Voter Thursday, Jun 30, 11 @ 8:18 pm
Aren’t all hospitals “safety net” hospitals? They must treat everyone regardless of payment status.

The only way you are going to achieve those kind if savings is to shut off the demand spigot which entails getting people off of Medicaid. That is not happening here. Guaranteed to be out of money by March. Then what?

Comment by Big R.Ph. Thursday, Jun 30, 11 @ 8:22 pm
Does cutting school transportation and regional sups advance the idea of school consolidation, or is it a little payback for those who didn’t get on board?

For the hospitals, that’s an interesting of keeping the payment cycle down — just pay less.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Jun 30, 11 @ 8:42 pm
This is a pretty pathetic attempt to have some say about the budget. Quinn messed up big time in not getting enough of the higher rate Medicaid reimbursement when it was on the table. He should have been able to sell some of his borrowing slash refinancing package, but that was a huge flop.

It’s difficult to remember how relieved everyone was to have Quinn take over after the stain of Blagojevich. But he has not been successful at being Governor in his own right.

Giving his own staff 50 percent raises in the midst of this just stinks to high heaven. Pat, Pat, Pat— whassamatta you?

Comment by DuPage Dave Thursday, Jun 30, 11 @ 9:03 pm
begin the countdown to the say the ROEs file their lawsuit and win.

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Thursday, Jun 30, 11 @ 9:06 pm
should be “day” not “say” the ROE’s file their lawsuit …
sorry, been waiting too long for budget action

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Thursday, Jun 30, 11 @ 9:09 pm
If Quinn wants rid of the ROEs then change the law. De-funding agencies that have statutory day-to-day responsibilities for our education system is just stupid and short-sighted.

Actually it’s just another typical Chicago political ploy to ignore the rules.

Third, his comment that the agencies could be funded by other line items suggest that it’s really all about control. He wants to fund them through operational grants from the state board, make them dance to his tune and when the elections roll around, contribute workers and cash to his campaign fund.

The differences between this governor and the last two are disappearing rapidly.

Comment by Downstate Illinois Thursday, Jun 30, 11 @ 9:35 pm
Can someone explain whether the Comptroller can cut a payroll check to anyone working in a Regional School Superintendants office or not now until this gets resolved.

Comment by Quinn T. Sential Thursday, Jun 30, 11 @ 10:02 pm
I wonder how long the payroll will last.

Comment by state employee Thursday, Jun 30, 11 @ 10:14 pm
In order to cut hospital rates, Governor Quinn will have to get that past JCAR first. I don’t see that happening, especially considering how many members made sure to clarify that there were no hospital rate cuts in the budget.

Comment by Fantasma Thursday, Jun 30, 11 @ 10:23 pm
All he did was reduce the Medicaid approp. Until the rates are reduced by the ga all he has done is push bills into out years. Ga gave him the emergency authority to do cut rates last year but he didn’t do it.

Comment by Anon Thursday, Jun 30, 11 @ 10:27 pm
Reducing the budget by cutting bureaucracy? Did Rod leave his playbook lying around the 16th floor? It’s deja vu all over again…

Comment by rod lives Thursday, Jun 30, 11 @ 11:15 pm
“Neglecting our bills today only creates bigger problems tomorrow.”

Ha, our last income tax disbursement from the State came back in MARCH.

Comment by Shemp Friday, Jul 1, 11 @ 1:29 am