U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) says state legislators and the governor shouldn’t expect him or other members of Illinois’ congressional delegation to get stalled budget talks moving.
Durbin cautioned against going into the current fiscal year without a budget. Without placing blame on either Democratic legislative leaders or Gov. Bruce Rauner, he’s hoping for an end to the impasse soon, but also warns no one from Congress is going to “come to the rescue.”
Durbin says the state seems to be running by “judicial mandate” in the absence of a budget, like how a court ruling allowed state workers to be paid in full.
$4.8 billion in federal money has been held up by the budget battle, but earlier this week, the Illinois Senate passed a bill allowing the funds to be spent. The House is expected to take it up next week, and Rauner has indicated he’ll sign the legislation.
And in other state news, the Illinois man who made national headlines for charging only five dollars for a doctor’s appointment has died.
Dr. Russell Dohner died early Friday in his sleep. He’d been practicing medicine in Rushville for 60 years, retiring at the age of 88 only two years ago.
Dohner was also known for writing prescriptions for a scoop of ice cream for children if they were feeling sick.
He was 90.
