No state has gone without a budget this long since the Depression days of the dust bowl, breadlines and soup kitchens, but now Illinois has achieved budget peace.
With Republican help in the Illinois House, Democrats were able to override Governor Bruce Rauner's vetoes of a spending plan and income tax increase.
House Speaker Mike Madigan is thankful bipartisanship ended the more than two year long impasse.
Illinois leaders now hope to avoid having their credit rating reduced to junk.