No Christmas Lights For Capitol

Illinois' budget impasse will replace the Grinch when it comes to decorating the state Capitol dome this year. The Illinois Secretary of State's office, which maintains the Capitol building, announced Tuesday they will skip the annual tradition of stringing Christmas lights on the dome. Officials say the ongoing impasse that has left Illinois without a budget since July 1 is the reason for taking the lights out of the holiday season. Secretary of state spokesman Henry Haupt says while the lights add color to the Capitol landscape and are a nice tradition, it is a fact the lights are nonessential. Haupt says the office is cutting back wherever possible to save money. He added the office's resources must be maintained to continue providing customer service and essential services.