Illinois collected another $1.6 million from late-vehicle registration fines in April to more than double its year-to-date haul from the same period last year as residents go without renewal reminders because there's no budget.
Last month's fines bring the total this year to $6.5 million. Illinois collected nearly $3 million in fines during the same four-month span last year.
The Illinois Secretary of State's office provided the figures to The Associated Press. The office stopped mailing renewal reminders in October to save an estimated $450,000 a month on postage. Officials there have encouraged residents to sign up for electronic reminders. So far, 2.1 million people have signed up for email reminders, one million more than were signed up last year.
Pending legislation would suspend the fines until reminders can be mailed again.
