State Funds Running Out For Court Reporters
From the Chicago Daily Herald
Illinois is set to run out of money at the end of March to pay court reporters, creating the potential for "havoc" in local courts, one suburban judge said.
The budget crunch leaves uncertainty about how the local justice system will operate if lawmakers and Gov. Bruce Rauner don't find a fix by then.
"We need court reporters every day," Lake County Chief Judge John T. Phillips said. "It would be havoc."
DuPage County Chief Judge Kathryn E. Creswell said she doesn't want to cause panic because there's time for the state to fix the problem. Still, she said, judges have to be responsible and start planning for the coming shortfall now so that courts don't shut down in early April.
The problem stems from the budget approved by Democratic lawmakers and former Gov. Pat Quinn last year. State money ran out this week for a program that helps low-income families pay for day care, leaving child-care centers to either drastically raise rates for those families or live with delayed payments.
Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly said the court reporter program is $14.3 million short for the budget year that ends June 30.
"Currently, it will run out of money at the end of March," Kelly said. "The governor is working with the legislature to find a responsible solution to the problem."
A spokeswoman for Democratic Senate President John Cullerton said problems shouldn't be surprising because Cullerton and others called the budget incomplete when it was approved last year.
Read more in our daily News Update...
From the Chicago Daily Herald
Illinois is set to run out of money at the end of March to pay court reporters, creating the potential for "havoc" in local courts, one suburban judge said.
The budget crunch leaves uncertainty about how the local justice system will operate if lawmakers and Gov. Bruce Rauner don't find a fix by then.
"We need court reporters every day," Lake County Chief Judge John T. Phillips said. "It would be havoc."
DuPage County Chief Judge Kathryn E. Creswell said she doesn't want to cause panic because there's time for the state to fix the problem. Still, she said, judges have to be responsible and start planning for the coming shortfall now so that courts don't shut down in early April.
The problem stems from the budget approved by Democratic lawmakers and former Gov. Pat Quinn last year. State money ran out this week for a program that helps low-income families pay for day care, leaving child-care centers to either drastically raise rates for those families or live with delayed payments.
Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly said the court reporter program is $14.3 million short for the budget year that ends June 30.
"Currently, it will run out of money at the end of March," Kelly said. "The governor is working with the legislature to find a responsible solution to the problem."
A spokeswoman for Democratic Senate President John Cullerton said problems shouldn't be surprising because Cullerton and others called the budget incomplete when it was approved last year.
Read more in our daily News Update...