Amid budget gridlock, Illinois lottery winners sue to have their winnings paid with interest and to prevent the state from selling more tickets it can’t pay out.

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.

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.

The bipartisan pass-through spending law will provide services to the state’s most vulnerable.

Through this latest bit of gamesmanship, Madigan delayed the enactment of the state’s uncontroversial federal-funds pass-through legislation.

Despite lacking a budget, Gov. Bruce Rauner is continuing CCAP for families currently receiving its services.

Amid the eighth week without a state budget, Illinois political gamesmanship rages on.