2,134 Page Bill Full of Appropriations

by Amanda Griffin-Johnson At end of May, the Illinois General Assembly adjourned without addressing how to pay for the $6 billion in unpaid bills and required $3.7 billion pension payment for next year. But both houses did have time to pass House Bill 0859. The bill’s synopsis as introduced states that the bill: “Appropriates $1,000,000 from the General...

by Amanda Griffin-Johnson

At end of May, the Illinois General Assembly adjourned without addressing how to pay for the $6 billion in unpaid bills and required $3.7 billion pension payment for next year. But both houses did have time to pass House Bill 0859. The bill’s synopsis as introduced states that the bill:

“Appropriates $1,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Public Health for grants for research on autoimmune diseases. Appropriates $350,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Public Health for the purposes of the Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure Act. Effective July 1, 2009.”

But since being introduced in February of 2009, this bill has been amended multiple times and is now a 2,134 page document full of various appropriations for the end of fiscal year 2010 and for fiscal year 2011. You can view the PDF of the entire bill here. Appropriations in the bill include:

• $351,600 payable from the Wildlife and Fish Fund to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for the Urban Fishing Program. The Illinois Urban Fishing Program is responsible for teaching “individuals of all ages to fish, to provide better local fishing opportunities, and to give participants an understanding of and a greater appreciation for natural resources.”
• $4.3 million from the Illinois State Fair Fund to the Department of Agriculture for operations of the Illinois State Fair.
• $393,500 from the Illinois State Fair Fund to the Department of Agriculture for State Fair Awards and Premiums, including $112,200 for “Awards to Livestock Breeders and related expenses,” and $281,300 for “Awards and Premiums at the Illinois State Fair and related expenses.
• $61,000 from the Tourism Promotion Fund to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) for expenses related to the Illinois State Fair Ethnic Village.
• $20,855,700 to the DCEO for tourism expenses payable from the Tourism Promotion Fund, including $5,536,500 for “administrative and grant expenses associated with statewide tourism promotion and development,” $12,578,700 for “Advertising and Promotion of Tourism Throughout Illinois,” and $2,740,500 for “Advertising and Promotion of Illinois Tourism in International Markets.”
• $100,000 from the Wildlife and Fish Fund to the DNR for the Sportsmen Against Hunger Program. This program urges deer hunters to donate whole deer and a $50 donation (to process the deer) which will be turned into ground meat for food banks and charities.
• $75,000 from the Build Illinois Bond Fund to the DCEO for renovations to the Farmers’ Market facility in the City of Morrison.
• $100,000 from the Build Illinois Bond Fund to the DCEO for an improvement project at the Sheridan Park baseball field in Chicago.

During a budget crisis, how would you appropriate taxpayer money? Check out the Institute’s Budget Solutions 2011, which features budget recommendations as well as a downloadable excel spreadsheet so you can make your own budget for Illinois.