Illinois’ Interest Late Fees Above $1 Billion
A new report from the State Comptroller’s office shows that Illinois has racked up interest penalties in the past two years totalling $100 million more than the state’s incurred in the past 18 years combined. Between 1998 and 2018, late interest penalties owed to vendors providing services to the state totaled $1.0396 billion. In the last two and a half years, Illinois accrued $1.1396 billion in late interest penalties. “The fact that, under Governor Rauner, the state allowed its bill backlog to grow to a point where we incurred nearly two decades worth of late payment interest penalties in just over two years is asinine,” said State Comptroller Susana Mendoza. “Imagine what that money could have done to improve conditions for residents at the Quincy Veterans Home, build roads and other infrastructure or fund public schools.” Governor Rauner’s rival in the November election, billionaire JB Pritzker, also criticized him. Bruce Rauner starved critical state agencies of funding, holding programs to support Illinois’ working families hostage and devastating countless lives, only to rack up over $1 billion in fees on the backs of Illinois taxpayers,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh in a statement. “Bruce Rauner is a billion dollar failure who fiscally mismanaged this state by historic proportions.” (State of Illinois Comptroller)