Illinois better fix its budget mess soon or else taxpayers and those reliant on social services will be hurting bad. That’s according to the national group State Budget Solutions.

Bob Williams, president of the group State Budget Solutions, says he’s been watching Illinois closely and says if years of structural deficits, growing unfunded liabilities, and decreased bond ratings aren’t addressed, taxpayers and the state’s most vulnerable will be hurt by increased taxes and cuts to services to pay off old bills. Williams says there’s a solution.

Several sources, from the Comptroller to various lawmakers, say without a budget in place, court orders, consent decrees and a growing backlog of bills put the state on pace to be more than $6 billion in the red.

In other State news, Democrats content binding arbitration for all state employees to prevent a strike is a major concession from the unions while Republicans say it would go against a current agreement.

House Bill 580 passed the House Tuesday 67-46 but not without more than two hours worth of debate. Democrat sponsor Chris Welch says the measure is a concession from unions willing to give up their right to strike. 

Leading Republican Jim Durkin said the measure would be retroactive and go against current agreements between the union and administration.

Governor Bruce Rauner said in a statement the measure quote “will dig Illinois’ fiscal hole even deeper, further squeezing social services and, ironically, it will lead to layoffs.”