SPRINGFIELD - Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Wednesday unilaterally cut $1.4 billion from Illinois' new state budget - including hundreds of millions of dollars earmarked for social services, education and health care - because the Legislature has failed to approve enough revenue to cover those expenses. | Despite threat, governor doesn't slash Amtrak

But the Democratic governor, in a brief statement to reporters outside his state Capitol office, held out hope that the announcement will jolt recalcitrant lawmakers to finally approve expanded casino gaming and approve other revenue measures that would allow the cuts to be restored.

"The ball is in their court," said Blagojevich. ". . . I hope they don't drop the ball."

The announcement came in the first day of a two-day special session of the Legislature, which Blagojevich called to deal with the budget shortfall. He had ordered lawmakers back to Springfield to pass new revenue, but he said it became clear by Wednesday afternoon that they were unlikely to do that.

Illinois House members in floor debate later Wednesday reacted angrily to news of the cuts, noting the reductions were announced before they were halfway through a session that had been called specifically to see if they could avoid such cuts.

"We're not done yet!" shouted state Rep. Bill Black, R-Danville, who criticized Blagojevich's budget cuts as draconian. "These aren't reductions! Reductions are done with a scalpel . . . this is done with a dull ax!"

The House Democratic majority has emerged as Blagojevich's key opponent in Springfield's bitter political infighting of the past year. House Speaker Michael Madigan ordered a hearing of the full House to consider Blagojevich's budget plans.

Blagojevich said that move indicated to him that Madigan and other House leaders had no intention of actually giving his proposals a fair hearing. The full House hearing, Blagojevich alleged, is "a circus of excuses to not do anything."

Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said the governor's cuts would have to be reviewed before any decision on how to respond.

The cuts announced by Blagojevich include elimination or reductions totaling $100 million for education-related items, $210 million for social services and $600 million for health care. Among items on the chopping block are services to AIDS patients, sexual assault victims and homeless youth, as well as cuts to public transportation, community colleges, public parks and environmental programs.

The Legislature earlier this year sent Blagojevich a $59 billion budget for the fiscal year that started July 1, but failed to approve enough revenue to cover those expenses. House members had rejected the administration's call to expand casino gambling and lease the state lottery to private investors, which would have raised money for a statewide infrastructure program while providing new money to this year's budget.

House Democratic leaders say Blagojevich has both the power and obligation to make cuts in order to balance the budget. Blagojevich on Wednesday angrily countered that sending him a spending plan without adequate revenue was like "writing a check that you know is going to bounce."

Lawmakers will continue meeting in special session today.