There will be no Christmas lights over the capitol dome in Springfield this year thanks to the continuing budget impasse.
The move announced by the secretary of state’s office will save upwards to $7,300 and is another in a line of issues caused by the lack of a state budget. A statement from Secretary of State Jesse White says while the lights add color to the Capitol landscape and are a nice tradition, they are nonessential, and the office is cutting back wherever possible to save money.
Typically the lights are up for 50 days.
Meanwhile, because of the budget impasse, the Capitol complex is also months behind on utility bills totaling several million dollars.