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A big sigh of relief Thursday in Illinois, but some groans of uneasiness.

Governor Rod Blagojevich signed most of the state budget into law on Thursday.

But not before vetoing nearly $500 million in what he calls "pork projects" the state can't afford.

The budget increases spending $1.7 billion more than last year.

KHQA did some checking on what made the budget and what didn't for this KHQA Factfinder report.

According to the governor's office, more than $15 million was cut from constitutional office budgets for personnel and other grants.

One-hundred forty-one million dollars was taken out for legislative add-ons.

The biggest chunk, $306 million, was whacked in other agency spending.

Some of those legislative add-ons include improvements to outdoor volleyball courts, a beautification project for a railroad company, and a foreign delegation for a sister city program.

Governor Blagojevich wants to use the $500 million to give uninsured women access to breast and cervical cancer screenings and treatments.

He also wants to give more adults access to Medicaid and more children access to healthcare.

Let's be clear about something, the budget is now law, except for the $463 million the governor vetoed.

The General Assembly will now look at that veto and vote to approve it or override it, that decision isn't expected until after Labor Day.

KHQA talked with State Representative Jil Tracy Thursday about the long process it took to finally get a budget in place.

How much faith should people in Illinois have in their state government right now?

"It's hard to have credibility at this time with the residents that get hurt by what looks like our inactions. The crisis we've had is the creation of a few figures. I think they'll have to answer to the public when the time comes," Tracy said.

The good news in all of this, state agencies in desperate need of money will get paid.

KHQA talked to the state comptroller's office Thursday afternoon.

The office told me checks will be sent out Thursday night, and employees will work through the weekend to get caught up to speed.

The Illinois Comptroller's office has been rolling out checks all Thursday evening long now that Blagojevich has signed most of the operating budget into law.

The budget increases state spending by more than one point seven billion dollars from last year.

KHQA talked to the comptroller's office on Thursday as well.

They told KHQA that half a billion dollars in checks for state agencies were getting sent out Thursday night.

That includes $340 million dollars in school aid, $4.7 million for road and bridge projects, $1.6 million goes to worker's compensation and survivor benefits, and $2.5 million goes to law enforcement training.