Gov. Pat Quinn signed the 2011 state budget late yesterday sent to him by the General Assembly, but made additional cuts to it first. The General Assembly cut 8 percent of Quinn's original proposed operating budget, which he signed off on, while also finding an additional $376 million to hack off the state's fiscal plan.

"State government must continue to address its Medicaid obligations," said Quinn in a press release announcing his budget action. "Neglecting our bills today only creates bigger problems tomorrow. With this in mind, I implemented a line-item cut to Medicaid in the amount of $276 million."

In addition to the cuts to Medicaid, Quinn also shaved off $89 million from the school transportation reimbursement funds.  

“From day one, I have stressed the need to invest in education by reducing high administrative costs and reallocating those funds to the classroom, particularly in early childhood education," said Quinn. "Implementing a budget is not a one-day event, but rather a year-round process filled with robust debate and difficult decisions. Today, I enacted a fiscal year 2012 budget of $32.987 billion. Overall, I reduced the budget passed by the General Assembly by $376 million. With these reductions, I am implementing smart efficiencies that support Illinois on its continuing path to fiscal and economic recovery.”

Quinn's biggest cuts came from "double appropriations" he found in the budget amounting to $336 million.