Quinn: Illinois Must Confront Budget Crisis

Gov. Pat Quinn says state government is in a battle against a massive budget deficit and it's a battle the state can't afford to lose.

In a speech to the General Assembly on Wednesday, the Democratic governor said the deficit in the upcoming year will reach $13 billion. Quinn says the state has to get rid of that deficit and strengthen state finances or pay the prices for years to come. He's calling for more than $2 billion in budget cuts, including major cuts to education.

Quinn specifically rejects the idea of across-the-board cuts, which have been proposed by his Republican opponent for governor. He calls that a "chain saw'' approach.