By Todd Hatton
Murray, KY – Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan says he's told Governor Pat Quinn he's open to discussing shifting state budget money to avoid numerous layoffs and closing state facilities. Madigan says the House intends to keep the budget spending limits it adopted. Governor Quinn has proposed more than 1,900 layoffs and the closure of seven state facilities. Quinn says the moves are necessary to live within the reduced budget unless lawmakers reallocate money. The cuts could save almost 55 million dollars. This would still leave a gap of nearly $183 million between authorized spending and what Quinn says is the minimum needed to operate state government for a year.