SPRINGFIELD - Local legislators will spend the next few days scrutinizing the state budget released by Gov. Rod Blagojevich Thursday.

Blagojevich approved a portion of the proposed budget but vetoed almost $500 million of proposals. Legislators received a memo detailing cuts that had been made but many are checking the budget for themselves.

"We don't exactly trust the governor's press release to tell us the truth," said state Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro.

Among the removed items was $141 million for member initiatives, also called pork money, said state Sen. David Luechtefeld, R-Okawville. The budget originally contained about $200 million for this initiative funding.

"He talks about cutting $141 million out of member initiatives," Luechtefeld said. "There was $200 million in the budget. Did he let (Senate Speaker) Emil Jones keep his $50 million?"

Bost also commented on the initiative money, suspecting Jones received the money he originally requested. An agreement had originally been made that support would be gathered to overturn any veto from the governor, but now Jones, a Democrat, has backed out of that agreement, Bost said.

"The trust that has been established since 1818 has kind of been broken by this group," he said.

After reviewing the budget, Luechtefeld said none of Jones' requested initiative funding was removed. The 12 members of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules also kept all their requested money, he said. The JCAR members will decide on the health care proposal Blagojevich hopes to start.

"It doesn't take much to recognize what he's trying to do; he's trying to buy their votes," Luechtefeld said. The senator also questions the legality of Blagojevich's health care plan.

"His idea of moving over to a health care program is, I think, illegal and unconstitutional. He's sidestepping the legislature and I don't think he'll get away with it," he said.

Included in the removed initiative funding was $900,000 Luechtefeld requested for five Southern Illinois University branch programs at area community colleges and business incubators. More than $115 million planned for hospitals, nursing homes, developmental disability facilities, substance abuse programs and mental health facilities was also removed, the senator said.

State Sen. Gary Forby, D-Benton, said Republicans had once spoken out against member initiative funding, but they are now in support of it. This shows a commitment that everyone shares to their constituencies, he said.

Forby said the governor's passing of the budget was both a blessing and a curse.

"I'm glad he passed the budget because we have to give money to our schools and our vendors need to be paid," he said. However, the senator believes the first thing to be cut should have been legislative pay raises.

Forby said he has donated all per diem money he has received to charity. Per diem money is the pay legislators receive for attending special legislative sessions. This amount has totaled about $1,700, Forby said.

Forby and state Rep. Brandon Phelps, D-Harrisburg, both agreed one major problem with the budget is the number of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union workers the budget supports, especially with the state Department of Corrections.

Phelps said the budget provides for about 500 corrections jobs, when at least 1,500 are necessary for the sizes and numbers of area prisons.

"It's a safety issue right now," Phelps said. "There aren't enough employees to watch these prisoners."

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