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This Is What A State’s Budget Crisis Means For Its Residents

Supporters of Early Intervention programs rally for the continuing of funding from the state in the rotunda at the Illinois State Capitol, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, in Springfield, Ill. CREDIT: AP PHOTO/SETH PERLMAN
Supporters of Early Intervention programs rally for the continuing of funding from the state in the rotunda at the Illinois State Capitol, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, in Springfield, Ill. CREDIT: AP PHOTO/SETH PERLMAN

First term Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) has been in office for eight months and the state has not had a budget for nearly half that time. The governor is trying to tie passage of the new budget to changes in labor laws — including creating “right-to-work zones” — that would hurt state workers and to changes in the tax code, but the legislature refuses to sign the package. The feud between Rauner and the Democratic-controlled legislature is nearing its fourth month and neither side seems ready to resolve the budget impasse soon.

A number of government vendors haven’t been paid for their services since the fiscal year began on July 1. And the budget impasse has also had a whole slew of other effects on the state and its residents. Here are seven of the more drastic effects of the current budget crisis:

1. Shootings in Chicago have increased.

This past weekend, 53 people were shot and four were killed in Chicago — making the total number of shootings so far this year about 400 times higher than this time last year. One reason for the violence is the budget battle which has resulted in cuts to counseling services and other programs intended to prevent violence and keep kids off the streets, according to Al Jazeera America. Community organizers have had to cut back on the summer jobs they can over youth and churches have had to lay people off and cancel after-school activities. One teenager told Al Jazeera he heard about some people selling drugs because they couldn’t find summer jobs.

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2. Police training programs have been canceled.

Police officer training centers have had to begin cancelling classes that provide training on things like how to deal with mentally ill people and the proper use of force. The issue comes just months after lawmakers approved a bill requiring additional law enforcement training. If the impasse continues, many of the programs, like the one in Carbondale, Illinois will have to shut down in the coming months.

3. Electricity could soon be shut off in the state Capitol.

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White sent a letter to Rauner last week outlining problems that could occur if the budget standoff isn’t resolved. The impasse could now mean that garbage pickup at the Capitol is halted, lights in state offices are shut off, and the armored truck service that moves cash would be stopped.

4. More than 100 state workers could soon be laid off.

State workers from several agencies were scheduled to be let go at the end of the month, but the governor’s office announced recently it would delay the layoffs pending litigation in state court. “The administration believes legal proceedings will confirm that the agencies have properly followed the law in executing these layoffs,” a spokesperson for the governor said in a statement.

5. State employees are paying for medical care out of pocket.

Illinois is no longer paying medical or dental claims for nearly 150,000 state employees because their insurance is on hold, so they are on the hook for paying their medical bills themselves until the crisis is resolved. The state has told employees that if they do have to pay upfront for coverage, they will get their money back, but there is no time frame for those reimbursements.

6. Fewer parents can send their children to day care.

The budget impasse has also meant that the state’s Child Care Assistance Program has been forced to stop enrolling new children, meaning day care centers are struggling to stay open with fewer children and parents are desperate to find someone to watch their kids. And new eligibility requirements for the program mean that a single parent working a full-time minimum wage job now makes too much money to qualify for child care assistance.

7. Low-income families have lost their energy assistance.

The state’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program should have begun providing subsidies to families for heat earlier this month, but because of the budget impasse, senior citizens and others with disabilities will have to pay their utility bills without state aid. The state still hasn’t approved funds for the program, so more than 150,000 families will be affected.