SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - The Illinois secretary of state’s office will continue mailing out license plate renewal notices for now, even if Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Legislature’s Democratic leaders don’t reach a new budget deal.
The office plans to maintain the mailed notices next year Dave Druker, a spokesman for Secretary of State Jesse White’s office, told the Springfield Bureau of Lee Enterprises newspapers (https://bit.ly/2h8kyaY ). But he said the office won’t be able to do so indefinitely without additional funding from a budget for the remainder of the state’s fiscal year, which runs through June.
The stopgap spending plan that’s funding most state agencies’ operations is set to expire Dec. 31.
If the secretary of state’s office has to stop sending notices due to lack of funding, a new state law passed in June and signed by Rauner in August will protect vehicle owners from late fees.
The law will waive the $20 late fee during times when the office isn’t mailing notices. The new law will also allow drivers to use the lack of notices as a defense against police citations for driving with expired registration.
The number of people charged late fees more than doubled when notices were not sent out.
It has been two weeks since Rauner and the four top legislative leaders have met to discuss the budget.
Democratic leaders have said it’s the governor’s responsibility to present a budget. They said they stand ready to meet with Rauner to continue negotiating.
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Information from: Southern Illinoisan, https://www.southernillinoisan.com
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