A state lawmaker from the area who spent many years working for the state transportation department says the agency is having big time budget problems.

IDOT officials said last week during a Capitol news conference that they're running out of money to the point where the agency can't pay for fuel for its vehicles. The situation could also put a halt to current state road construction projects and even basic maintenance.

Peoria Republican Dale Risinger, a former IDOT district engineer, says he wants the Senate to take action on a supplemental spending bill when lawmakers return to Springfield on Wednesday.

"The money would come from the Road Fund," said Risinger.  "The money has already been paid by taxpayers.  They paid it whenever they filled up with gas at the pump.  The money is in the Road Fund, so we're not asking for any new taxes to be raised.  We're just asking for money to be released out of the Road Fund so that IDOT (can) continue its operations."

However, Risinger says IDOT has the ability to work its way out of the budget crunch by doing an authorization that adds the cost of fuel to each contract, which would make the contractors responsible for providing the fuel for the state vehicles.  Risinger says there will be serious consequences without the funding, including unsafe roads and a possible loss of road construction jobs.