Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez has asked a federal court to force the state of Illinois to pay $18 million the county says it’s owed for a child-support enforcement program.
A Friday statement from her office says the action is a response to the state budget impasse in Springfield that’s left Illinois without a budget for the 2016fiscal year.
The 13-page motion to intervene was filed this week in a related case dating back to 1992. It led to a consent decree on state payments. A hearing on the motion is set for March 17.
Alvarez argues the state and the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services haven’t reimbursed the money it costs to operate the program.
An agency spokesman didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
