Only money accepted on debt

The Department of Public Aid does not have the power to accept anything but money in repayment of a debt owed the state. A hospital which owes the department some $16 million in overpayments or erroneous payments of medical assistance funds offered to make partial restitution by refurbishing a building and transferring title to the state. But though the department has the power to recover what it is owed (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1980 Supp., ch. 23, sec. 12-.25), it has not been given the statutory authority to accept property in lieu of money, the attorney general said. (File No. 82-013)

Using state Hazardous Waste Fund

Money from the Illinois Hazardous Waste Fund may be used as matching funds for federal money provided for cleanup of hazardous wastes. Federal law allows for funds to clean up hazardous wastes within a state as long as the state contracts to pay at least 10 percent of the cost of the cleanup. The Illinois Environmental Protection Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1980 Supp. ch. 111 1/2, sec. 1022.2) authorizes the director of the state Environmental Protection Agency to use the Hazardous Waste Fund to take "preventive or corrective action" at waste sites certified by him and the governor to pose a threat to the environment, public health or welfare of Illinois citizens.

The attorney general added, however, that no more than $1 million of the fund may be used to clean up hazardous wastes at any one site. (File No. 82-009)

State Stix

The general funds end-of-month balance was $141.742 million in April, $194.835 million in May, and $187.161 million in June. The average daily available balance for these months was $93.710 million, $196.180 million and $166.246 million; the combined funds end-of-month balance was $229.355 million, $288.723 million, and $246.713 million.

The final statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 10.4 percent in April, 11.0 percent in May and 11.3 percent in June. The final seasonally adjusted unemployment rates in the state's major cities in February, March and April were: Bloomington-Normal, 7.9 percent, 8.9 percent, and 8.6 percent; Champaign-Urbana-Rantoul, 6.3 percent, 6.4 percent, and 6.1 percent; Chicago, 9.3 percent, 9.5 percent, and 9.5 percent; Davenport-Rock Island-Moline (Illinois sector), 11.5 percent, 14.3 percent, and 13.7 percent; Decatur, 12.8 percent, 13.4 percent, and 12.2 percent; Kankakee, 15.2 percent, 16.0 percent, and 15.0 percent; Peoria, 10.7 percent; 11.0 percent, and 11.4 percent; Rockford, 15.3 percent, 13.0 percent, and 15.1 percent; Springfield, 7.7 percent, 7.1 percent, and 6.5 percent; East St. Louis (Illinois sector) 11.7 percent; 11.3 percent, and 10.8 percent.

August 1982 | Illinois Issues | 39