Rauner Says Agencies Will Be Asking For $760 Million Extra

 Illinois' Republican governor-elect says state agencies plan to ask for $760 million more than they were originally budgeted in 2015.

Bruce Rauner spoke about the state's budget at a luncheon in Springfield Tuesday. He says he's also meeting in Springfield with lawmakers and budget experts to get a better handle on the budget situation.
 
Rauner says he has been continually surprised to learn more details of a $35.7 billion budget passed by lawmakers in May that didn't allocate enough money to cover agency expenses.

"What we've learned here in recent days, and I'm here to get more of the detail on ... there's $760 million of  what they're calling - what I guess, I'm learning the lingo - supplemental appropriations, about to be requested," he said. "Basically, it means that state agencies are going to be asking for an additional $760 million to get them through this budget year."

Or, as Rauner put it, they want to go "over budget."

Rauner says solutions like short-term borrowing are "band-aids.'' He says Illinois needs structural reform.