Illinois Senate Passes $678 Million Spending Package

Springfield, IL (AHN) - The Illinois State Senate approved Thursday a $678 million spending package designed to increase health care services, provide pork-barrel projects to House Democrats and grant broad powers to Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich that allows him to access state funds which used to be beyond his reach.

Democratic Senate President Emil Jones said the measures, supported mainly by Democrats, is an attempt to appease House Speaker Michael Madigan, still angry over 2007's bitter session. The spending package comes at a time after the governor estimated state budget shortfall to hit $5 billion.

The new legislation is expected to partly give Blagojevich's breast- and cervical-cancer screening programs and FamilyCare a boost. It would also help low- to middle-income state residents gain more access to health care.

The governor attributed the budget deficit, the largest in Illinois' history to rising cost of healthcare, the shift of the state economy to service from industrial without the corresponding revision on its tax structure, economy downturn not reacted fast enough despite the signals, mismanagement, shady accounting and rampant spending.