Governor Rauner signs first Executive Order addressing state's fiscal crisis

SPRINGFIELD – Governor Bruce Rauner today signed Executive Order 15-08 addressing the State of Illinois’ fiscal crisis ordering a freeze of all state discretionary spending, halting the awarding of contracts and grants, and instructing the sale of surplus state property.

“Years of bad decisions have put Illinois in a financial crisis,” Rauner said. “Today we start the process of putting our state back on the road to fiscal stability by reviewing agency spending, stopping contracts and grants, and selling excess state property.”

Executive Order 15-08 requires every executive branch agency to report to the Governor’s Office of Management & Budget (GOMB) to identify every contract awarded or entered into by a state agency on or after November 1, 2014, and every hiring decision taken by agencies on or after November 1, 2014.

All agencies are further ordered, until July 1, 2015, to halt the awarding, entering into, amending or renewing of state contracts and grants. Exceptions are made for contracts required by law, emergency expenditures, small purchases, and essential operations.

Major interstate construction projects which have not commenced will be reviewed.

The governor also instructed agencies to manage existing resources by halting the sale/lease of motor vehicles, stopping out-of-state travel, and limiting in-state travel.

Executive Order 15-08 further instructs Central Management Services (CMS) to identify surplus property for auction in compliance with state law. Further, GOMB and CMS will review all property owned or leased by the state and develop a strategy for consolidation and relocation of offices.

Finally, the governor ordered all agencies to reduce energy consumption and spending on energy, including reducing heating, air conditioning, and lighting usage when facilities are not in use.

“Every dollar that we spend unnecessarily in government cannot be used to help our most vulnerable citizens,” Rauner added. “We must take every step necessary to ensure Illinois becomes the most compassionate and competitive state in the nation.”