A strongly worded letter from the state treasurer so far hasn’t impacted state budget talks.

Mike Frerichs sent the Rauner administration a letter earlier this month warning his office can’t pay brokerage firms, banks and credit unions that handle the state’s investments.
Frerichs says the treasurer’s office doesn’t provide domestic violence, child care, mental health or other critical services like other affected areas – but he invests money that garners returns, he estimates 28 dollars for every one dollar spent.

Frerichs says he has no authority to pay anyone except his office staff.

In other news, Donald Trump is still hanging around the presidential race, long after he got bored and gave up in previous campaigns.

Trump’s campaign has hired Kent Gray as Illinois director, but the campaign would not make Gray or any other campaign personnel available. Serafin says that can be attributed to the perceived need to have the candidate as a single voice.
Another factor: since around the time Bill Clinton blew into a saxophone on late-night television, candidates have brought their messages to the voters more directly than they could through the “news.”