Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) | Facebook/Governor JB Pritzker
Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) | Facebook/Governor JB Pritzker
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on June 7 signed the fiscal year 2024 budget into law. The budget includes “projected revenues of $50.611 billion and expenditures of $50.428 billion, resulting in a $183 million surplus,” a press release from the governor's office said.
It includes over “$500 million in new state and federal funds to support the state's healthcare system,” and “$42.5 million for grants to counties and cities for their costs associated with asylum seekers,” the release said.
The budget called for $220 million for the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults program, which, according to the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, offers medical coverage to adults 42 through 64 regardless of immigration status.
“We save money when we invest in health care for undocumented immigrants,” Pritzker said, according to NewsChannel 20. “What happens if they don't get health care, basic health care, they end up in an emergency room and we all end up paying for that at a much higher cost than if we have preventative care and regular care for people.”
Several lawmakers have criticized funding health care for undocumented immigrants.
"It will cost $1.1 billion to provide health care for the approximately 120,000 undocumented adults in the state," a release from state Sen. Dave Syverson (R-Cherry Valley) said.
“The shortfall for funding this one program alone will make the budget unbalanced. That number is just the cost for adult undocumented healthcare,” Syverson said in the release. “In addition to providing adult healthcare to the undocumented population, Illinois is also covering the cost of children’s healthcare, housing, cash assistance, daycare, education, and other social service programs. All of these programs are growing at unsustainable levels and will lead to crowding out current human service programs and to future tax increases to cover the shortfalls.”
Sen. Sally Turner (R-Beason) told NewsChannel 20 that the budgeted money could fund other programs, including programs for children, infrastructure, bills and energy costs.
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