North Cook News

State Rep. Tom Morrison (R-Palatine) points to the state’s newly passed $42 billion state budget as yet another example of what little grasp he thinks Illinois Democrats have on understanding finances.

“The Democrats in Springfield act as though there is an endless supply of cash from Illinois taxpayers and/or Washington, D.C.,” Morrison told the North Cook News.

As an example, he points to a provision in the budget that will soon arrive on the desk of Gov. J.B. Pritzker that stands to make Illinois the first state in the country to provide Medicaid benefits to undocumented immigrants. Under the guidelines of the bill Democrats banded to pass during a four-day special session, all undocumented immigrants over the age of 65 with incomes of $12,670 or less would be eligible to receive Medicaid benefits as of July 1, 2021.

Morrison argues it all just equals more trouble for the already cash-strapped state.

“Medicaid providers have to wait longer and longer to get paid because the Democrats keep expanding access to the program without the means to pay for it,” Morrison added. “As a result, some providers are just dropping their participation.”

Morrison previously blasted Democrats for having completely shut Republicans out of the process of deciding what went into the budget during the special session.

“The end of this legislative year was unique given the circumstances with COVID-19,” he said. “Yet, the budget agreement was the same old game that the Democrats have been running for years. House Republicans were left out of the negotiating process and the final product is an out-of-balance budget that our state cannot afford.”

Morrison said he’s still shocked that Democrats included spending and borrowing increases in the package despite the state’s finances being in complete disarray.

“We owed it to Illinois to come together these last four days and accomplish things that would move our state forward,” he said. “Instead, this budget plan is a leap in the wrong direction.”