Quinn Reviews Blagojevich-Era Contracts In Budget Crisis

In an effort to cut spending across the board, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn will examine more than 250 government contracts issued by his predecessor, Rod Blagojevich, to see if they should be rebid.

The governor's office announced the plan as part of a wide array of budget cuts, as the state of Illinois faces a budget deficit of upwards of $13 billion.

Picking on the corrupt ex-governor is perhaps the one politically popular move in the recent budget proposals, which include deep cuts to schools, state police, child care, pensions and local governments.

Still, it's unclear how much money the review will save. David Vaught, the governor's budget director, told the Sun-Times that every contract over $1 million issued during the Blagojevich administration will be examined, but how many of these contracts will be renegotiated, and for how much less, remains to be seen.

The governor is set to give an address on the budget on Wednesday, in which he will announce the full measure of budget cuts and a set of tax increases that will help close the yawning chasm of debt in the state's fiscal landscape.