Though the Illinois state budget seems to be bad enough, it could get worse, experts say.
Ultimately, budget crises in some states can even lead to the closing down of state government for brief periods, according to Chris Mooney, a political science professor at UIS. State shutdowns, or the threat of one, may be one of the few things that convince lawmakers to make the more difficult, sometimes unpopular decisions, like raising taxes and cutting services, he said.
Mooney's comments were featured in a December 14, 2009, article on Stateline.org.
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20091214-Stateline-statebudget.pdf
