Gov. Rauner's deficit projection $2.4B less than lawmakers'

Gov. Bruce Rauner's says the state's budget deficit will be $5.4 billion.

The figure announced Thursday is far below the $7.8 billion that the Legislature's bipartisan Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability projects.

The Republican governor and lawmakers have been unable to agree on a budget. Court-ordered spending continues, outstripping revenue.

The governor's office says there's about $1 billion in federal reimbursements and another $800 million the commission counted as spending but it didn't count an equal amount of revenue that would come in. The governor's office says it expects Illinois to spend $250 million less than planned and a state law reduces Illinois' cost for the Affordable Care Act by $150 million.

Read more: http://thesouthern.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/gov-rauner-s-deficit-projection-b-less-than-lawmakers/article_c8860af6-59d1-55b4-b517-fb988dc3504b.html