The state of Illinois’ decision to purchase of nearly 800,000 rounds of ammunition from an Indiana firm is one more sign of fiscal irresponsibility, said Dan Rutherford, Republican candidate for state treasurer.

Shore Galleries Inc., a Lincolnwood ammunition manufacturer, refused to ship bullets to the Illinois Department of Corrections unless the state paid the tab up front. The reason – the state of Illinois owes the company $6,000. Instead of paying the Illinois’ company the states opts to purchase the nearly 800,000 rounds from an Indiana company – at a cost of $200,000. To top it off, the purchase was a no-bid purchase.

One answer that is not forthcoming from state leaders is why not pay the $6,000 owed to an Illinois company before spending an additional $200,000 with an out-of-state company?

According to a statement from the corrections department the ammunition was not needed for prison guards, but rather for training purposes at the academy.

Rutherford, a state senator from Pontiac, said this purchase makes no fiscal sense.

“What we should do is pay our bills in Illinois,” Rutherford said.

He also condemned the snubbing of an Illinois company by the state. He said the state should enter into contracts with Illinois vendors. In a radio interview posted on his campaign site Rutherford said Illinois taxpayers money does not need to go to support Indiana businesses.

“We need to do as much business as possible here in Illinois,” he said.

The $6,000 owed to the ammunition manufacturer is a drop in the bucket compared to the rest of Illinois’ mounting bills. With a $13 billion budget deficit Illinois faces a growing fiscal crisis of nightmarish proportions. School districts, police departments and vendors who rely on state funding are facing tough choices as the state is incapable of paying its bills.