BELLEVILLE, Ill. (AP) — The legal battle over whether Illinois can fully pay state workers amid an ongoing budget impasse is scheduled to return to court in St. Clair County.
Thirteen state worker unions are asking a southwestern Illinois judge to compel Illinois Comptroller Leslie Munger to continue issuing paychecks without a budget in place for the fiscal year that began July 1. A hearing is scheduled for Thursday afternoon in Belleville.
A Cook County judge ruled Tuesday that Munger may pay only some workers who are covered under federal minimum wage laws. Attorney General Lisa Madigan had asked the judge to clarify what state government is obligated to pay without an approved budget for fiscal year 2016.
Both Munger and the state’s largest public-employee union, plan to appeal that decision.
