The governor issued dozens of layoff notices to Illinois State Museum system employees and the legislature shot right back.

State Sen. Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) says the governor’s layoff notices, effective September 30th, which also impact IEMA and DCEO among other agencies, ignores the legislative process.

The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability will likely issue a recommendation today on whether the museums should stay open.

The bill is crafted like the law that funds the state fair – it says the state museum system shall be funded, which makes it essential spending. Manar says preserving thousands of years of history and millions of artifacts is a function of state government and is essential.

In other state news, in a rare show of bipartisanship this summer, state senators approved more money for K-12 education and are allowing federal money to go to state agencies that need it.

State Senator Heather Steans (D-Chicago) says $4.8 billion from the feds cannot be distributed at present because there’s no spending authority. But with unanimous support, a measure to allow it flew out of the Senate. Does this mean the pressure’s off to craft a full year spending plan?

No, because agencies won’t get all their promised money.

Steans is hopeful, though, because the measure to put more money toward schools, $74 million, also had wide bipartisan support.