Funds provided through Senate Bill 2039, which Gov. Bruce Rauner signed into law Dec. 7, will allow the Illinois Lottery to resume paying winning ticket holders.

Amid continued budget gridlock in Springfield, Senate Bill 2039 provides funds to pay Illinois Lottery winners, as well as to allow for road maintenance, 911-center operations and projects by Chicago’s tourism office, among other local government programs.

Ticket sales slumped by more than $20 million in October as lottery players balked at a broken system.

Good-faith negotiation and trust were foundational to all of the deals made, but some Statehouse Democrats pushed for extreme solutions while others were actively compromising.

Gov. Rauner and the Illinois House of Representatives support a bill to release lottery winnings, but Democratic leaders in the House and Senate are standing in the way. Now Illinois Lottery winners may not be paid until 2016.

Increased sales were outweighed by richer payouts.

A Springfield budget stalemate comes with embarrassing consequences for Illinois government.