It's been nine months since Illinois' income tax rate dropped when a temporary tax hike rolled back on January first. And though the state is operating without a budget, Illinois is already spending over 90 percent of what it spent last year...which has already led to a cash shortage.

Speaking in Moline Tuesday, Illinois Comptroller Leslie Munger said the total of Illinois' unpaid bills could reach $8.5 billion by the end of the year. 

Babies should develop in leaps and bounds; so while missing out on months of therapy doesn't sound like long, the consequences are compounded. Supporters of "EI" say that working with infants and toddlers saves money later, by lessening kids' needs when they're older; some studies say it even leads to reduced prison rates.

A federal judge is scolding officials for not fully complying with an order that they pay providers of critical services during the state budget standoff.

Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office has filed an emergency appeal with the Illinois Supreme Court to settle conflicting court orders about whether state employees can be paid during the budget impasse.