The Latest: Rauner critical of stop-pay action by Madigan

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Latest on Illinois legal action to suspend state worker pay without a budget (all times local):

11:10 a.m.

Gov. Bruce Rauner is criticizing Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s legal move to stop paying state-government workers until lawmakers approve a budget plan.

The Republican governor said Friday he hopes Madigan isn’t attempting “a crisis to force a shutdown of the government” and an “unbalanced” short-term budget. He wants the Democratic attorney general to reconsider.

The motion was filed in St. Clair County. It seeks to reverse a ruling there that state employees be paid even though the General Assembly has not appropriated money for the purpose.

Rauner and Democrats who control the Legislature have been unable to negotiate a budget for two years straight. He has held up as his main opponent Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan of Chicago — the attorney general’s father.

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12:20 a.m.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is seeking to stop state worker pay until legislators and Gov. Bruce Rauner approve a spending plan.

A motion by Madigan filed Thursday in St. Clair County Circuit Court seeks to dissolve a preliminary injunction which allowed state workers to be paid during the budget impasse. Madigan asks the court dissolve Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza’s power to authorize payments to state employees on Feb. 28.

In a statement, Mendoza blamed Rauner for the budget impasse. She said state workers wouldn’t face a threat of no pay if he had proposed a balanced budget in 2015 or 2016.

Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly calls the filing “disappointing.”

Madigan’s move comes as Senate leaders try to come up a bipartisan spending plan.