State officials are touting another piece of good fiscal news.
Comptroller Susana Mendoza says Illinois has been able to pay off a federal loan for COVID-related expenses nearly two years early.
The state borrowed $2 billion from the U.S. Federal Reserve to help manage costs from the pandemic. But higher-than-expected state revenues allowed Illinois to speed up the repayment cycle. Mendoza says the early payoff will save taxpayers $82 million in interest.
