SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Gov. Pat Quinn and top Illinois lawmakers promise they’ll genuinely work together in a new push to solve the state’s budget crisis.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Gov. Pat Quinn and top Illinois lawmakers promise they’ll genuinely work together in a new push to solve the state’s budget crisis. The five officials met for about 90 minutes Monday in the governor’s Springfield office. Quinn says the tone of the meeting was that "we are a team." State officials were supposed to come up with a new budget by Sunday night. That meant figuring out how to fill an $11.6 billion budget deficit. But lawmakers couldn’t agree on a mix of spending cuts and tax increases to close the gap. Republican leaders say Democrats have agreed to take a new look at reforms to government pension and health programs to cut costs. ______ Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
