Gov. Quinn’s Budget Transparency?

State budget transparency on the way?

by Kate Piercy

Ryan Keith from the GateHouse News Service reports “Gov. Pat Quinn wants more time to give his budget address — and promises to give a public glimpse of the state’s budget situation before that.”

Although state law requires Quinn to give his address next Wednesday, he has asked for more time. Yet, House and Senate members can’t seem to agree on “how far to push the speech back – either earlier or later in March,” reports Keith.

Quinn prefers to give his budget address on March 10 and sent a letter to lawmakers Tuesday saying “he’ll put information online for lawmaker and public perusal to set up the next year’s budget” and the site “will include a detailed look at revenues and spending for the current budget year and estimated revenues and spending obligations for the next budget year.”

Will we get to see such budget transparency?

Quinn claims he “will solicit public comments at his budget office’s Web site — http://budget.Illinois.gov— and use feedback to shape his budget plans presented two weeks later,” and wrote “A budget that reflects input from the people of Illinois will be a better budget for the people of Illinois.”

Will this be another step in the direction of transparency for the state of Illinois? Who will provide feedback and who will the state listen to?