UPDATE, 2:12 pm - Quinn vetoed the bill as expected, then spoke to reporters about the urgency of getting a full balanced budget passed when lawmakers return to Springfield in two weeks. As has been the case lately , he wouldn’t directly address the question of what happens to state services if such an agreement can’t be reached. Madigan is holding a counter-news conference in a few minutes. -KM

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn will hold an unusual news conference in about 30 minutes, to publicly veto the partial state budget that the General Assembly sent to him yesterday. (Here’s our story)

Making a big media production out of signing bills is pretty common, but to do that for a veto is something that no one I’ve talked to around here remembers happening before. It’s another indication of just what kind of odd territory we’re into with this budget crisis.

The state faces a deficit this year as high as $9 billion. Quinn’s administration says the Legislature’s refusal to approve his proposed income tax hike before today’s start of the new fiscal year means state government and all its services could potentially start shutting down at any time.

The partial budget was passed by state lawmakers who don’t want a government shutdown but don’t want a tax increase, either; it essentially would keep government running for now, on its current resources, for awhile, until they figure out what to do next.  Quinn’s planned veto of that budget is a way of shutting off that option and holding the lawmakers’ feet to the fire.

He may yet get burned, though. Just a little while ago, House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton jointly announced that they’re calling their members back to Springfield on July 14 to deal with budget issues — meaning, potentially, to overturn the governor’s veto and institute the partial budget in spite of him.