Lawmakers in Springfield have kicked off their final full session before the summer recess, and even though eleven months have passed since the start of the fiscal year, there’s still no budget deal. 

Now, some are wondering whether it may be more politically expedient for Democrats and Republicans not to pass a budget at all. 

Morning Shift talks with Chris Mooney, director of the Institute of Government and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois, about how Democrats and Republicans are positioning themselves this week and how they’re likely to use the budget crisis as a talking point in the run-up to the November election.