(CAPITOL CITY NOW) – With Gov. JB Pritzker in the room – “You want to get a fight going right here!” he said to laughs Thursday – reporters were able to ask Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul (pictured) about the surprise $10 million shortage in his office’s budget, something he learned of after it passed in the wee hours of June 1.

Raoul said his office’s work is vital and takes money.

“During this kind of challenging time of doing what the federal government has stepped away from, taking on more burden based on legislation passed that gives us additional authorization to enforce, and then fighting the federal government, which is trying to take money away from the state of Illinois, our office is burdened, and we need to be funded to at least a flat level (compared to FY 26), and I think we’ll work our way through it.”

Raoul, at a bill-signing ceremony in Chicago, said after serving fourteen years in the Illinoi General Assembly, he is familiar with the appropriations process. “I understand that, come the end of May, there are competing interests. Under this governor’s leadership and this legislature, we have been passing balanced budgets consistently, which was not a common thing in the past.”

He did say he has spoken to the governor about his concerns, including as recently as Thursday.