Sangamon Sun

Three Senate Republicans on the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) questioned officials from Governor JB Pritzker's Department of Health and Family Services (DHFS) regarding their program to provide free healthcare to undocumented immigrants. The Senators expressed concern over the program's misplaced priorities and the burden it places on Illinois taxpayers.

During the hearing, the Senators learned that the co-pays for migrants in the program will be limited and less expensive than traditional healthcare plans. Managed care providers also have the option to waive co-pays. However, mandatory co-pays will apply to overnight hospital stays and surgical procedures.

At a press conference, the Senate Republicans emphasized the significant cost of the free healthcare program for noncitizens. The program's budget has skyrocketed from an estimated $2 million to over $1 billion in just a few years. Illinois taxpayers are not only paying for their own health insurance but also covering the cost of healthcare for noncitizens.

DHFS officials admitted that they were already over budget and projected the cost of the healthcare component alone to be around $770 million this year, nearly 50% more than initially promised. Total spending on all programs for noncitizens during fiscal years 2023 and 2024 is expected to exceed $2 billion.

"Illinois families can't afford another tax hike to pay for this crisis," said State Senator Tom Bennett. "While the Governor prioritizes using taxpayers' money to pay for non-citizens' medical bills, I am going to continue to prioritize the families and organizations of our great state and work with other Republican Legislators to make a change."

In other news, the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) and Google Public Sector have partnered to create a program called Behavioral Health Care and Ongoing Navigation (BEACON). This program aims to improve access to behavioral and mental health resources for Illinois youth. Senator Bennett supports this initiative, recognizing the benefits of using technology to help children and families.

Additionally, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC) have launched the Made in Illinois grant program. With $1 million in funding, this program will provide matching grants of up to $50,000 to small and mid-sized Illinois manufacturers. Eligible companies must have been operational in Illinois for over three years and employ between five and 250 people.

Lastly, as of the time of writing, the State of Illinois owes over $1.3 billion to state vendors, including pending vouchers. This figure does not include estimated debts such as the unfunded pension liability, which is believed to be over $139 billion.

It is worth noting that Illinois has become a popular location for the motion picture industry due to tax credits offered by the Illinois Film Production Tax Credit Act. The state has seen an economic impact of over $6 billion and increased membership in the industry.

Senator Bennett continues to work tirelessly to represent the 53rd District, prioritizing policies that support businesses and encourage investments in Illinois.