By Patrick Andriesen, includes “More than six months after Springfield lawmakers hurriedly passed Illinois’ $42 billion annual budget in the dead of night, a Chicago Tribune analysis has uncovered a secret slush fund giving Gov. J.B. Pritzker the authority to spend $2 billion in federal aid without approval from the General Assembly. …” (Note: A TIA analysis of Ballotpedia research indicates that states with lower legislative approval requirements for spending federal grants tend to be in worse financial condition.)