Yesterday's item prompted a good friend in the health care industry to send me a copy of a recent check they received from the state of Illinois. 

They had sent the check off to the bank, with all of their other deposits, but the Illinois check was returned, and stamped "Returned for insufficient funds"!!!!!  The state of Illinois is now passing bad checks.  I'm being perfectly serious.  When they called the state, they were told, "Try to cash it again next week, it MIGHT go through then."

Another health care provider said they had received a notice from the state of Illinois indicating that future Medicaid payments (assuming the checks are good) will be made approximately 200 days later than the state's current payment schedule.  Here's the thing - the state is currently 180 days behind on payments.  So with this latest announcement, they are forwarning their vendors that they will be paying their bills delayed only by 15 days..................... and 1 YEAR!!!!! 

Passing bad checks, in Illinois, is subject to both criminal and civil liability. 

In Illinois, the civil penalty is:  Treble amount of check but not less than $100 nor more than $500 plus attorney's fees and court costs.  And the check has to be remitted in less than 30 days.

The criminal penalty is: Up to $500 fine or up to one year in jail, or both.

I wonder if we can fit Illinois' executive and legislative branch in just one prison?