Quinn Announces Plan to Save Facilities Marked for Closure

Gov. Pat Quinn says he's reached a deal to keep seven state facilities he'd planned to close open through the fiscal year.

Quinn's office announced the deal Monday. State budget director David Vaught tells The Associated Press that the estimated $200 million cost of keeping the seven centers open through the current fiscal year, which ends in June, will be covered by moving funds from other parts of the budget.

Vaught says Quinn's veto of $376 million from the $33.2 billion budget passed by the legislature this year made the deal possible.

Earlier this year, Quinn said the state needed to close seven centers, including a prison and centers for the developmentally disabled and mentally ill. The closures would have resulted in nearly 2,000 layoffs.