State Senator William Peterson (R-Long Grove) expressed his disappointment that Illinois voters would not be allowed to vote on whether or not to amend the state constitution with a recall provision this fall election.

Peterson said that it was particularly disappointing that tensions between both chambers resulted in political posturing and delays that have made it impossible for citizens to vote on this issue.

Lawmakers may have just begun the 2008 General Assembly, but state officials are already predicting rough fiscal waters ahead, said State Senator Bill Peterson (R-Long Grove).

After issuing a dire fiscal warning last week, Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes was back in the spotlight on February 13 urging Gov. Blagojevich to cut spending and level honestly with lawmakers about the state’s faltering economy. Comptroller Hynes stated that Illinois is falling short of projected revenues by $750 million dollars for the current fiscal year and leaves a huge hole in the budget.

SPRINGFIELD – The State of Illinois’ backlog of bills has prompted top officials to look into securing a short term loan in order to continue fulfilling the state’s financial obligations, according to State Senator Bill Peterson (R- Long Grove).

Extensive delays in reimbursements to state contractors and Medicaid providers led Comptroller Dan Hynes—who has repeatedly lamented Illinois’ fiscal condition—to float the idea of additional short-term borrowing to pay off the state’s billion dollar bill backlog. Though the decrease in the backlog has dropped since the end of 2007, the Comptroller’s Office anticipates that the backlog will continue to rise in the coming months.

Governor Rod Blagojevich disclosed this week that he has incurred even more in legal fees over the past year with the ongoing federal probe of his fundraising efforts and alleged corruption in his administration.

The Governor has incurred over $1.3 million dollars in legal fees in the last 18 months. In fact, when taking into account the total amount reported since 2005, it is over $2 million in legal fees since the probe began in 2005.

Governor Blagojevich continues to face scrutiny, as allegations of pay-to-play politics—including awarding lucrative state contracts and appointments to campaign donors—continue to dog his administration.