ILL-inois: Powerball pulls out of state, roadwork may end in two weeks

Like a hypothermia victim, Illinois is losing appendages. Because the state hasn't had a budget in two years and one has not been passed for fiscal 2018, Powerball is rolling out of Illinois.

There's more. The Illinois Department of Transportation, which a few years ago had enough money to illegally hire Democratic political cronies, announced today that state road repair work will end if no budget is passed by July 1.

While the super-majority Democratic-controlled state Senate passed a budget bill--with a massive income tax hike, in the House, where state Democratic Party boss Michael Madigan has been speaker for 32 of the last 34 years, no budget was voted on. Madigan, thanks to his nationally-renowned gerrymandering talents, has a near-super majority in that body. But the Chicago Democrat does not want to have his members run for reelection next year with a "Yes" vote on a tax increase that he can't blame on Governor Bruce Rauner, a Republican.

Meanwhile, Republicans in the General Assembly are proposing a budget compromise. Will it matter? Illinois is burdened by $14 billion in unpaid bills and over $100 billion in unfunded pension obligations.

UPDATE 6:15pm Illinois Bankruptcy Time: Mega Millions is cashing out of ILL-inois too.