Lawmakers run out of time
Updated: March 1, 2013
SPRINGFIELD -- Time has run out for lawmakers in Washington to reach a budget deal. That means $85 billion in automatic cuts go into effect at midnight.
Illinois will see a portion of those cuts affecting everything from education to the National Guard. Airports will also take a direct hit. The FAA says, starting in April, they're closing more than 100 air traffic control towers nationwide, including Springfield, Decatur and Bloomington.
The director of Decatur's airport says he's concerned about some safety issues since there will be fewer people watching the skies. But, he says, in reality, it's just a bump in the road. None of us will even notice a difference.
If you're flying in and out of Chicago or St. Louis, though, you might find yourself experiencing some delays. The FAA says expect to tack on an extra 90-minutes to your wait time.
When it comes to cuts to education, we're looking at losing about $50 million a year. It means bigger class sizes, cutting preschool programs and teacher layoffs.
Most lawmakers agree, they'll be able to find some sort of budget deal eventually. It's just a matter of when.
Illinois will see a portion of those cuts affecting everything from education to the National Guard. Airports will also take a direct hit. The FAA says, starting in April, they're closing more than 100 air traffic control towers nationwide, including Springfield, Decatur and Bloomington.
The director of Decatur's airport says he's concerned about some safety issues since there will be fewer people watching the skies. But, he says, in reality, it's just a bump in the road. None of us will even notice a difference.
If you're flying in and out of Chicago or St. Louis, though, you might find yourself experiencing some delays. The FAA says expect to tack on an extra 90-minutes to your wait time.
When it comes to cuts to education, we're looking at losing about $50 million a year. It means bigger class sizes, cutting preschool programs and teacher layoffs.
Most lawmakers agree, they'll be able to find some sort of budget deal eventually. It's just a matter of when.
