With the state budget situation in complete limbo, state lawmakers have gone home with no clear direction on what will happen next. UPDATED 8:35 p.m.

Following Friday’s column on the sorry state of the memorial for 3-year-old Jennifer Bloom, workers cleaned up the site. The crabgrass that covered the memorial plaque was pulled. A small decorative fence was placed in front of the plaque, and the cigarette butts were cleaned up -- for a while.

State Briefs 6/30/09

The Illinois House voted overwhelmingly Monday to borrow nearly $2.3 billion that could solve another piece of the state's budget puzzle. It also sent to Gov. Pat Quinn a series of public works construction bills that the House has kept from the governor for weeks using a parliamentary move. Both actions come as the state is about to end its 2009 budget year without a new spending plan in place and with no clear indication when one will be.

llinois has been in this position before, starting a new fiscal year without having a budget in place. What makes this year different is the backdrop of the state's severe financial problems and the consequences of dealing with those problems, including tax hikes and/or program cuts. A look at the options lawmakers have.

July 1 is almost here, and again there's a major debacle for state government's budget. Illinoisans are getting used to the scenario seemingly played out every year at the state Capitol. This week's State Capitol Q&A takes a closer look at what July's arrival means with the budget situation in limbo.

The arrival of July 1 means a new state budget year, and it's becoming a regular occurrence for lawmakers and the governor to be at odds over the new spending plan. A look at some of the recent disputes showing history repeating itself on the budget.

State Briefs 6/29/09

Jonathon Monken, the acting Illinois State Police director who's faced criticism for his lack of police experience, says his new job isn't so much about being a police officer as it is about being a good leader.

State Briefs 6/26/09

When the Prescott Bloom state office building opened in Springfield in 1988, a small tree was planted and a plaque was placed near the entrance. They were put there in memory of 3-year-old Jennifer Bloom. Jennifer and her father, who was a state senator from Peoria, both died in a fire at their Peoria home in January 1986. But someone has cut down Jennifer’s tree. All that is left is the plaque and a stump. But this gets worse.

Three months after Gov. Pat Quinn’s controversial selection of a non-police officer to head the Illinois State Police, the state Senate has yet to consider whether to confirm the appointment of Jonathon Monken.

State Briefs 6/25/09

When I was diagnosed with Stage II testicular cancer in January 2008, no one told me the mental pain would be as fierce as the physical toll. It was as bad as when my mother, grandmother and brother died within seven months of each other. The first few days after receiving the news, I couldn’t — make that wouldn’t — sleep. I was afraid that if I fell asleep, I would die. The last in a four-part series on Paul Arco's memories of testicular cancer.