SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois budget standoff and its resulting backlog of unpaid bills is finally striking at the heart of government, as a vendor to the general assembly is no longer accepting orders from the state.

Illinois state senators received an email this week from Senate President John Cullerton’s chief of staff informing them that the Senate’s office supply vendor of choice has stopped accepting orders for paper, printer ink and toner, and other office supplies.

The email does note that they have alternative options in place to address immediate needs, but it is unclear how long those options will work.

Employees of the Office of the Senate President have been asked to conserve supplies by limiting printing and copying activities, and lean heavily on sharing documents electronically when they are able to do so.