(BENTON, IL) — Franklin County State’s Attorney Evan Owens Tuesday filed a lawsuit against two state officials for the reimbursement of salaries that hasn’t been made available due to the state budget impasse in Springfield. The two-count lawsuit, filed in the Franklin County Circuit Clerk’s office, names as defendants Illinois Comptroller Leslie Munger and Illinois Department of Revenue Director Constance Beard. Count one demands that reimbursement payments be made to the state’s attorney’s office, the public defender’s office and the supervisor of assessments. Count two seeks a declaratory judgment. This will require the state to make the reimbursement payments and “other such relief as the court deems just and proper.” The state is required to reimburse the state attorney’s salary at 66-and-two-thirds percent of the total annual compensation, 66-and-two-thirds percent of the public defender’s salary and 50 percent of the supervisor of assessments salary. Approval for the lawsuit to be filed came from County Board Chairman Randall Crocker during Monday’s finance committee meeting. The county has not received any reimbursement from the state since the fiscal year started July 1.

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