South West Illinois News

State Sen. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) is one of several Republican lawmakers questioning why Democrats missed a May 19 budget deadline and what they are planing to do about more than $1 billion in spending on health care for the undocumented. 

“It is incredible to me that the majority party who has super majorities in both chambers and has the governor cannot even meet their self-imposed date of May 19,” Bryant told WJPF. “They're negotiating against themselves. The actual budget writing does not even include any Republicans. So they're negotiating against themselves on what they're going to do. And the biggest issue right now seems to be what are they going to do with the $1.2 billion of Medicaid money for undocumented immigrants, all while we still owe $500 million to the community?” 

Bryant said the estimated $1.1 billion for healthcare for undocumented immigrants is a major point of contention. She said that spending was secretly inserted in an earlier version of the budget. 

“So secretly, not even a bill. They just stuck it into the budget,” Bryant said. “This year, they have a bill to take it from 19 all the way up. And that's because all kids  1 through 18 (are already covered). So that would be all ages of undocumented immigrants. And it's Cadillac, it's Cadillac insurance. When you go to the hospital, they get to choose their doctor. They get to choose what procedures they have done while citizens who are on Medicaid get the crap insurance.” 

Others are taking the Democratic leadership to task for how the budget process is handled. “Only a few top leaders in the Democratic supermajority in the General Assembly will have much of an understanding of the budget when over a thousand pages of budget bills get shoved to members for a vote, probably this week. The rest of us will get a full story only in coming months, if ever,” Mark Glennon wrote in Wirepoints.

The draft budget has not been seen by many in the General Assembly. State Rep. Jeff Keicher (R-Sycamore) has been denied in his repeated requests for a draft copy of the budget which will top 1,000 pages. “Funny story,” Keicher said. “After I made my inquiry last night, I had eight members of the other side of the aisle suggest to me that they hadn't seen one either.” Keicher’s sentiment was backed up by State Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Swansea) who responded, “You’re asking me?” When Keicher asked him about a draft.

The budget was scheduled to be passed by Friday, May 19 at midnight. The General Assembly has until May 31 to pass a budget prior to the fiscal year ending June 30. Democrats sent notice to legislators on Friday that the session was being extended regarding the $50 billion budget negotiations. Legislators will next be in session May 24-26 when a final budget is expected.

Revenue has dropped significantly for the state, which saw a loss of $1.8 million since last year. The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability reported the state’s income tax saw a significant decrease in 2022 accounting for the plummeting state revenues. "Things are still going OK. It’s just that the performance in fiscal year '22 was so sensational or exceptional, that it was just difficult for us to have that same result in fiscal ‘23," Eric Noggle, revenue manager for the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, told Fox News.