There hasn’t been much going on at the Capitol complex lately, at least outwardly.

The General Assembly is spending most days at home, mired in a weird war of attrition with the governor as Illinois prepares to celebrate the holidays without a state budget that was due before the Fourth of July. But mice, it seems, never sleep, much to the dismay of state employees in the Stratton Building, where mice have recently been spotted darting hither and thither. We don’t have money for the butter cow lady. We can’t fi gure out what to do about the state museum, which remains closed yet staffed. But some things are critical. And so AAA Springfi eld Termite and Pest Control is trapping mice at the Stratton as we write. The company has caught at least a halfdozen so far and is still on the hunt, according to Michael Helton, a partner in the business. He’s not sure when he’ll get paid, but history tells Helton that the state is a good credit risk. “I’ve done work for the state for years,” he says. “They haven’t stiffed me yet. I have no reason to believe they’re not going to pay me.” Helton says his past work for the state has included general pest control. “I won’t say skunks or weasels or all that,” he says when asked for details, but he did mention bedbugs. “Nothing serious, no,” Helton says. “They’ve asked me questions about them. Just asking me questions.”