Stack of Unpaid Bills is Growing in Illinois

Illinois' comptroller says the state's backlog of unpaid bills is growing again.

The (Springfield) State Journal-Register reports the backlog has grown to about $8.8 billion.

The state's balance of unpaid bills was shrinking in the spring, thanks to an influx of tax revenue.

Brad Hahn is a spokesman for Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka. He says the backlog fluctuates during the year, with "numbers dropping in high-revenue months and rising in leaner seasons."

In late May, the balance fell to $5.8 billion and vendors were waiting about two months to be paid. It climbed to $6.1 billion by the end of the state's fiscal year in June.

Hahn says the balance could grow to $9 billion by the end of December for the second year in a row.