Illinois Legislature Passes $50.6 Billion State Budget

The Illinois House Democrats passed a $50.6 billion spending plan that now goes to Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who issued a statement saying he intends to sign it. The plan seeks to ensure the state can keep its promises, but not everyone would be completely satisfied with the final product. The difficulty in building consensus within the many competing interests among Democrats who control both the House and Senate was on clear display in the waning days of the spring legislative session, as the General Assembly blew a self-imposed adjournment date and once again went into overtime to pass a budget.