Vote on budget up in air

<font size="2">With just days to go before Illinois school districts and state employees miss paychecks because of the budget impasse, a handful of lawmakers met briefly Sunday, did nothing and left without knowing when they will be asked to vote on a budget.</font>

<font size="2">House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, said Saturday that there is "good solid agreement" among the four leaders on an operations budget that will fund state operations through the rest of the fiscal year.</font>

<font size="2">However, Senate President Emil Jones, D-Chicago, appeared Sunday to link the operations budget to approval of a capital spending bill that would pay for construction of roads, bridges, schools and other projects. He said there is agreement among himself, Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson, R-Greenville and House Minority Leader Tom Cross, R-Oswego, to do a capital bill.</font>