Cook County has long been ridiculed for allowing dead people cast votes, but the state may have just garnered a new distinction.

It paid $12 million in health care for people who were already dead — including in one case, for a person who had died in 1989.

A new financial audit released by Auditor General Bill Holland’s office on Thursday found that the Illinois Department of Health and Family Services had 8,232 people still on Medicaid rolls qualifying for benefits, even though they were dead.

The state paid monthly premiums totaling almost $7 million for 561 people who had already been dead for an average of nearly two years before they were enrolled in a state managed care program. Read the entire Chicago SunTimes story.

Sign the Petition

Members of the General Assembly left Springfield this evening and are not scheduled to return until the fall veto session.  But Illinoisans shouldn’t be lulled into believing they’re safe from tax increases or other shenanigans. Like a hungry shark circling just off the shore, Illinois Democrats’ insatiable appetite for more tax revenue just keeps coming back, again and again.

The 2015 Democrat-passed budget spends $8,000,000 more than the revenue estimates unanimously agreed upon by the House earlier this year. Moments after the budget plan passed in the House, Senate President John Cullerton confirmed in an interview with The Associated Press that Democrats would be pushing their tax increase proposals anew after the November election.

The ploy is reminiscent of the January 2011 lame duck session where votes by outgoing legislators were the deciding factor in passing a 67% tax increase.  Incidentally, after voting for the tax hike seven lame duck lawmakers ended up getting high-paying government jobs.

If you’ve had enough, join with us in the fight for accountable, transparent and responsive government by signing our petition to keep the temporary tax, temporary.

More on the effects of high taxes:
What’s the Matter with Illinois?
In most state capitals, “happy days” have come again, not in Illinois
House Dems blow-up agreed revenue caps

As they put together the state budget for the fiscal year that starts in five weeks, Democratic leaders in Springfield were forced to drop plans to make their temporary income tax hikes permanent. Too much pressure from their caucus members — and from Illinois citizens who think temporary means temporary — forced them to back off.

So strike up the band! Pop the Champagne! Fling the confetti!  But understand that this income tax fight isn't even close to finished.

Read the Chicago Tribune editorial in its entirety.

Leader Jim Durkin speaks in favor of scaled down capital bill that will fix roads, create jobs but does not contain discretionary spending.

State Representative Tom Cross blasts the Democrat-crafted budget as unbalanced and unconstitutional.

On Thursday morning, five Illinois students competed in the semifinals of the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee. Christine Alex of Chicago, Meghana Kaminei of Lockport, Alia Abiad of Western Springs, Lucas Urbanski of Crystal Lake and Yasir Hasnain of Forsyth all correctly spelled their first round words. Alia Abiad made it to the finals Thursday night.

As words in the National Spelling Bee can sometimes be obscure, members of the House Republican Caucus demonstrate the everyday use of the terms the Illinois spellers successfully tackled in Thursday's opening semifinal round. Congratulations to all five students on their success!

A bill filed by State Representative Dwight Kay (R-Glen Carbon) to halt pay raises for lawmakers is stuck in the Rules Committee.

House Bill 6235 would continue furlough days and reject the automatic cost of living adjustment to legislative salaries. Kay says Democrats are trying to sneak pay raises through the General Assembly during what is supposed to be the last week of the spring session.

Doug Jenkins with WBGZ has the story.