Illinois is again delaying the sale of the Thompson Center state office building in Chicago, which was neglected until the state could no longer afford to fix it. The state’s new delay is to take advantage of zoning changes and in the hope office space prices rebound.

Including cash from an imagined Thompson Center sale in state budgets was so common it became a punchline. But Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a law that finally puts the massive state office complex on the market.

Despite claims from some state lawmakers that the fiscal year 2019 budget is balanced, official reports to bond buyers admit a deficit of more than $1 billion.

Lawmakers claiming to have passed a balanced budget are relying on a number of common, but deceptive, budget maneuvers.

Lawmakers voted to approve the 1,245-page budget less than 24 hours after it was revealed to the public.

State senators voted to approve the 1,245-page budget just hours after it was made public.