By Cynthia Grau/WJEZ News

With the May 31 adjournment deadline looming in Springfield, lawmakers from both chambers are continuing to meet and find common ground on the state’s most pressing issues.

Even though the budget is one of the most important, Senator Jason Barickman also said others are getting needed attention. One of those is a multi-year highway construction plan from the Illinois Department of Transportation.

“We have many roads and bridges in dire needs of repairs and it’s good that now with the new administration, we have IDOT focused on making some of these critical improvements,” Barickman said.

Barickman said the budget still takes center stage and he said balancing the budget is critical in the final two weeks. He said he knows it will be a fight, which he and other lawmakers are willing to work through.

“The hope is you find some reasonable middle ground, but the reality is you cannot go to taxpayers and ask them to give you more money unless you first change the structure of our state government,” Barickman said.

Senator Barickman will check in with WJEZ News from time to time to keep listeners up-to-date on the happenings in Springfield.