OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. (AP) – After the Mississippi River flooded four years ago, more than 100 Illinois families agreed to sell their homes to the government for demolition so they could move to higher ground.
With the paperwork finally coming together last spring on a partial state match for the buyouts of 111 properties, many owners signed contracts on new homes and started packing boxes. Then Illinois lawmakers hit an impasse on a state budget,leaving the transactions in limbo.
The program is just one of many caught up in the fight between Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Democrats who run the General Assembly over the budget and the new governor’s pro-business agenda. While the standoff continues, state agencies do not have full authority to spend money.