Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – The final week of the spring session is here for the Illinois General Assembly. And lawmakers will be asked to vote on a $55 billion state budget which is still being negotiated.

“We have a good idea of what (state agencies and the governor) are asking for,” said State Sen. Mike Halpin (D-Rock Island) Monday. “We have a general idea of what our revenue is going to be. It really just becomes a math problem of how do we get to the priorities that we’re trying to move forward in this state. And we’ll get there.”

“Really, nobody knows what’s in the budget,” said State Sen. Steve McClure (R-Springfield). There is a handful of people who have done the math, but we always find out as the budget is being implemented that people are finding new things that they didn’t know about. We really don’t know what’s in it.”

The significance of the May 31 deadline is that after that, a bill taking effect immediately requires a three-fifths vote rather than a simple majority. The new fiscal year begins July 1.