Governor Resubmits Payment Requests
Hynes says state needs plan for how to deal with $2.6 billion backlog of unpaid bills

Chicago--Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes announced today that Governor Quinn has resubmitted the requests for payment of lottery and tourism advertising and marketing services, and as such, his office will issue commensurate payments as part of the overall $43 million in contracts. Comptroller Hynes had asked the Governor to reconsider making the payments or to consider whether it is possible to reduce the amount we spend on these items due to the state's dire fiscal situation and the lack of a plan for dealing with the state's $2.6 billion backlog of unpaid bills.

"As I have said all along, it is the Governor's prerogative whether these expenditures should be made," said Hynes. "The Governor has made clear by resubmitting these payment requests that it is his desire that these obligations be paid now, and we will pay these bills. But the real problem here is that there is no plan for how the state is going to deal with its $2.6 billion dollars in unpaid bills."

The bills were part of several contracts the Comptroller's Office submitted for the Governor's review in a letter dated September 14, 2009. Also cited in the letter was a contract for nearly $10 million to a management consulting firm to set up a time-keeping system for state workers. In total, the Comptroller's Office submitted $53 million worth of marketing and consulting contacts. The Comptroller noted that the Governor is preparing to spend more on marketing and advertising this year than was spent last year on similar initiatives.

"It was my hope that my letter would encourage the Governor to exercise greater scrutiny of government spending at a time when the state can't pay its bills. Families all across Illinois are tightening their belts to pay bills, and I believe we should be held to the same standard," Hynes said. Hynes observed that Quinn has affirmed publicly that he wants the state to issue payment on all the contracts included in Hynes' letter. "It's the Governor's choice," Hynes said. "Just as we will make these payments, we will issue payments on all of them."

Of the $2.6 billion backlog of bills, payments owed to health care providers alone total $600 million, and are delayed as long as six months. Health care providers across the state are opting to stop serving patients who rely on the state for any of their health coverage. "At this time, I believe our priority should be making sure patients still have access to doctors, businesses stay open and that kids can still go to college," Hynes said.