By: Mark Glennon*
One reason why Illinois is a fiscal wreck is that the state’s budget and accounting are muck, and they are prepared — according to the state itself — in open violation of state law.
The governor and the general assembly are constitutionally required to prepare an annual budget. A statute, the State Budget Law, requires that the budget for the general revenue fund and other key funds be prepared in accordance with “generally accepted accounting principles for governments” and lists other specific accounting requirements designed to allow for a reasonable comparison of projected revenues to expenses.
But the state ignores those requirements, and tells us so. Each year the Illinois Auditor General and the Comptroller submit the state’s “Comprehensive Annual Financial Report” for the prior year, known as a CAFR. For at least four years those statements said expressly that key parts of the budget did not comply with the State Budget Law. See for yourself here in the most recent Illinois CAFR. Go to pages 158-159 where it recites the law then says the state “has not presented revenue and expenditure estimates in accordance with these requirements.”
Understand that this is not about politics. Current Republican Comptroller Judy Topinka has said substantially the same thing in her CAFRs as Democrat Dan Hynes did before her in his. They are not to blame — it’s the legislature that fails to comply. Nor is this is about the state’s constitutional balanced budget requirement. That’s another discussion.
Given the central importance of the budget one has to wonder if the legality of the entire spending process eventually will be questioned.
Credit the Institute for Truth in Accounting and its founder, Sheila Weinberg, who initially brought this to my attention. They have complained about this for years.
In Illinois, nobody notices. Nobody cares.
Mark Glennon is founder of WirePoints
… [Trackback]
[…] Find More Informations here: wirepoints.com/illinois-violates-its-own-budget-law-and-accounting-requirements-and-admits-it/ […]
… [Trackback]
[…] Read More here: wirepoints.com/illinois-violates-its-own-budget-law-and-accounting-requirements-and-admits-it/ […]
… [Trackback]
[…] There you will find 25262 more Infos: wirepoints.com/illinois-violates-its-own-budget-law-and-accounting-requirements-and-admits-it/ […]
… [Trackback]
[…] Find More Informations here: wirepoints.com/illinois-violates-its-own-budget-law-and-accounting-requirements-and-admits-it/ […]
… [Trackback]
[…] Read More Infos here: wirepoints.com/illinois-violates-its-own-budget-law-and-accounting-requirements-and-admits-it/ […]
… [Trackback]
[…] Read More here: wirepoints.com/illinois-violates-its-own-budget-law-and-accounting-requirements-and-admits-it/ […]
… [Trackback]
[…] Read More: wirepoints.com/illinois-violates-its-own-budget-law-and-accounting-requirements-and-admits-it/ […]
… [Trackback]
[…] Read More here: wirepoints.com/illinois-violates-its-own-budget-law-and-accounting-requirements-and-admits-it/ […]
… [Trackback]
[…] Informations on that Topic: wirepoints.com/illinois-violates-its-own-budget-law-and-accounting-requirements-and-admits-it/ […]
The suit would most likely be against Rep. Michael Madigan, Rep. Tom Cross, Sen. Cullerton and Sen. Radogno. But the state doesn’t want to have to defend frivolous lawsuits. so to sue the state you must get permission from the state. Who in the state is responsible for giving you authority? State’s attorney general Lisa Madigan.
Another aspect of the state’s violation of the budget law is discussed in this article by the Institute for Truth in Accounting: http://www.truthinaccounting.org/news/listing_article.asp?section=451§ion2=451&CatID=5&ArticleSource=948
I care. Thanks for alerting me to this situation. There may be a court case here.
Brian- Good to find people who care. A lawsuit would certainly seem to have merit. The problem, of course, is that a suit like this in Illinois is decided based on politics, not legal merit, particularly in our Illinois supreme court run by the wife of Cook County Dem honcho Eddie Burke. And all judges have state pensions! Might have a chance if there is a way to get it into a Federal court, but that would be a stretch I think.
[…] Illinois violate its own laws on accounting and […]
they don’t care.
It’s the noncompliance with GAAP for governments that really seems weird. If not that, what standards are they applying and what meaning do the financials have?
They are using what we call “Political Math” for the balanced budget calculations. They do use GAAP for governments to prepare their financials, but GAAP for governments requires them to not report more than 50% of the unfunded pension and state retirees’ healthcare liabilities on the face of the state’s balance sheet. Truth in Accounitng
I am sure our attorney general will be all over this, Lisa Madigan, LOL!