Illinois' unpaid bills could lead to money dispute with the FBI

Democratic Boss Michael Madigan, because of his devious gerrymandering skills, enjoys supermajorities in both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly. But the man who has been

House Speaker for 31 of the last 33 years--term limits, anyone?--is more interested in provoking the Land of Lincoln's Republican reform governor, Bruce Rauner, than passing a budget.

As I've commented before, all Madigan's Democrats have to do is pass a budget--if Rauner vetoes it, then the Dems can override it.

From AP:

Illinois, on the cusp of a second year without a state budget, counts among its many unpaid bills one that threatens to provoke a dispute with the nation's top crime-fighting force.

Documents obtained by The Associated Press through the Freedom of Information Act show that the deadbeat state owes $3 million to the FBI for processing fingerprints and conducting background checks for professional licenses and permits. The debt is old enough that it could be turned over to the federal government's collection agency — the Treasury Department.

The delinquent payment is just the latest unexpected consequence of a stalemate between the Republican governor and Democrats controlling the Legislature. The gridlock has left Illinois without a budget since July 1 and exacerbated a long-standing backlog of debt. As of Tuesday, the state had more than $7 billion in unpaid bills.

Madigan, courtesy of the
Illinois Policy Institue

"The breadth of the issues covered by the budget impasse never ceases to amaze me," said Rep. Elaine Nekritz, a Democrat from the Chicago suburb of Northbrook and chairwoman of the House Judiciary Committee on civil matters.

Nekritz, did you get Madigan's permission to say that?

As for AP, the author of this piece didn't bother to tell his readers that Rauner isn't needed to enact a budget because of Madigan's cartographical skills.

In his speeches on the floor of the Roman senate, Cato the Elder, even if his topic had nothing to do with Rome's enemy Carthage, would end each address this way, "Furthermore, I consider that Carthage must be destroyed."

The Blogger Laureate of Illinois may have to end each blog post with this phrase, "Furthermore, I consider that Michael Madigan must be defeated."