An aide for Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner says additional funding suspensions are possible on top of the $26 million that was frozen earlier this month on Good Friday. A detailed list of the funding suspensions, which includes funeral expenses for those on public assistance as well as teen, autism and disabilities programs can be found here.
Office of Management and Budget Director Tim Nuding stood behind the suspensions during a meeting of the joint appropriations committee Tuesday and said the $1.6 billion stop gap bill passed by the state legislature last month is not enough to handle Illinois' fiscal woes.
Nuding said the state legislature was aware of the high potential for the grant funding suspensions when they passed the spending bill, but some lawmakers say they were unaware of the impending fiscal doom facing programs in the Departments of Public Heath and Human Services.
"I would not have voted for the bill," state Sen. Dan Kotowksi (D-Park Ridge) said regarding his lack of knowledge of the funding freeze.
While additional social services programs are set to have their funding frozen, Rauner recently okayed $100 million in grants for corporate businesses.