By Drew Adams
Murray, KY – Nearly nine out of ten human service organizations say they've suffered from a combination of spending cuts and delayed payments by Illinois over the past year. Almost half said they reduced services or laid off staff because of state budget cuts. While waiting for the state to pay its bills, four out of 10 groups were forced to borrow money to pay their bills. Other groups resorted to layoffs, furlough days and skipping payroll. The data was acquired by the Illinois Partners for Human Services, which sent questionnaires to hundreds of non-profits last month. The 238 responses provide a rough picture of how groups that care for the sick and needy are faring amid state budget turmoil.