Sangamon Sun

State Sen. Steve McClure (R-Springfield) argues there’s a simple reason why a provision in Illinois Democrats' newly passed budget makes for bad policy.

The $2 billion bill will make the state the first in the country to provide Medicaid to undocumented immigrants 

“We just don’t have the money to be giving out to every faction there is,” McClure told the Sangamon Sun. “Our state is beyond broke and really hurting right now. Beyond that, longtime residents of Illinois are really getting crushed right now by everything that’s happening with COVID-19. It’s time we take care of the people here paying taxes.”

McClure said he’s been opposed to the Democrats' budget since lawmakers met in Springfield last month for a special four-day session. Under the guidelines of the bill, 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.

“There are a lot of bad things happening in this state right now and this just adds to the list,” McClure said of the bill that Gov. J.B. Pritzker is almost certain to sign once it arrives at his desk. “People are angry and fed up. The idea that we can’t pay our own bills but would be putting taxpayers on the hook to assume the cost of something like this absolutely seems crazy.”

McClure said he thinks he knows why doing something this extreme might appeal to Democrats like longtime House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago).  

“I would say that most things politicians do in an election year like this have political motivation behind them,” he said.