Despite tight budget times, some groups are still managing to land sizable state grants, with the money often going to organizations that have ties to key Illinois lawmakers.
An Associated Press review finds that details about who arranged for those grants and how the money is to be spent can be hard to come by.
The practice is far less prevalent than during the Blagojevich years, but can represent millions of additional dollars of spending in a budget that has made dramatic cuts in other areas.