Susan Rick’s boyfriend won $250,000 from the Illinois Lottery in July.
As the Chicago Tribune reported in August, Rick thought the winnings would allow her to “stop working seven days a week, maybe fix up the house and take a trip to Minnesota to visit her daughter.”
No such luck.
Instead of real money, Rick’s boyfriend – one Danny Chasteen – got an IOU from the state.
The problem: the state’s inability to pass a budget even after hiring (and subsequently firing) budget “guru” and Laffer disciple Donna Arduin for $30,000 a month meant that any Illinoisan who won more than $25,000 couldn’t immediately be paid.
……..
Here’s USA Today:
The cash-strapped state of Illinois announced Wednesday they’ll be handing out IOUs for the time-being to any state lottery winner who wins more than $600.
“Payment delays will occur because there currently is no legal authority for the Illinois Comptroller or the Illinois
Lottery to issue checks,” the Illinois Lottery said in a statement. “Please note that the funding to pay winners exists, but the legal authority to issue checks does not.”
The lottery said the payments will be made once a state budget is passed.
The lottery has been delaying payments to big winners since the current fiscal year started on July 1. Initially, only winners who were set to get $25,000 or more were receiving IOUs.
On Wednesday, the Illinois Lottery lowered the threshold to $600.