State Releases (Some) Details of Its Budget Cuts

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has released details of which programs will face the knife under his 2011 budget.

Schools, social services and health programs will be trimmed as Quinn attempts to shave $1.4 billion from the state's $13 billion deficit.

The governor's budget office said Tuesday that they've decided on the where exactly to slice, -- though the cuts are spare on details. All told their prescriptions add up to about $891 million in savings.

The cuts stack up like this, according to the Associated Press:

• Gone is the Century Network, which provides Internet access to schools;  Funding for group homes for neglected children. payments to a Peoria wildlife preserve; and payments to schools for student transportation and reading programs.
• The Department of Health care and Family Services, which oversees Medicaid for the poor, will lose $216 million, or about 2.7 percent. Last month, Quinn said the agency would be one of the few getting more money.
• The Department of Human Services is being cut by $576 million, about 14 percent. Originally, the department was going to lose just $312 million.
• Education spending, from preschool to high school, will be cut by $311 million, or about 4.3 percent. Quinn announced last month that education would be cut by $241 million.
• The school cuts include $146 million for student transportation and $68.5 million in reading improvement block grants.

Quinn's office said the latest cuts "reflect Governor Quinn's plan to make major reductions to state spending while prioritizing the tools needed to keep the Illinois economy moving forward."

The governor's office posted summaries of the cuts on a state website Monday without any announcement. On Tuesday, his budget office could provide few details about the cuts, many of which are described simply as "efficiencies" and "changes." 

Copyright Associated Press / NBC Chicago

Leave Comments