By Cynthia Grau/WJEZ News

State workers can’t get paid their full salaries as long there’s no state budget, according to a court ruling.

The argument from the Attorney General’s office was under federal law, only certain workers are entitled to being paid the federal minimum wage plus overtime during this budget deadlock.

The comptroller’s office based its position on what happened during the 2007 budget impasse, when a court order allowed the state to pay all workers in full. Assistant Attorney General Brett Legner argued in court that this situation was different as there’s no indication a budget agreement is imminent.

An appeal is already in the works.

In other state news, a new study shows Illinois ranks 20th in the nation for the well-being of its youth, with 43 percent of the state’s children under age 3 living at or near poverty, according to a new report on the state of the nation’s babies.

Nationally, 48 percent of kids under 3 live at or near the federal poverty level, 11 percent live with parents who are unemployed and 34 percent live with an unmarried parent.

Massachusetts ranks No. 1 in the nation for kids’ well-being, with 68 percent of its 220,878 children under 3 living above federal poverty level.