We’re a ways out from budget season, but a small crop of articles on the state budget for the coming year are out. SU was approved for the Expedited Payment Program in November. At that point state payments were so far behind that we were in danger of running out of credit (the cash was already gone) to pay our salaries and bills in just three weeks. It’s scary to think where we and other providers in the state would be if that program weren’t available.