For many state budgets, a year of relief

Stateline

This article looks at the fiscal health of states around the country coming out of the recession. While many states are experiencing economic recovery, Illinois and California are still facing large budget gaps. The Civic Federation said Illinois will end FY2012 with over $8 billion in unpaid bills, even after the Illinois General Assembly closed a $2.7 billion gap in the State’s Medicaid program through a combination of program cuts, reimbursement rate reductions for healthcare providers and an increase in the cigarette tax.