Inside:
- State spending on immigrant health benefits far exceeds projections
- Proposed ban on cell phones in classrooms
- House Republicans oppose efforts to raise taxes
- Veterans Affairs committee discusses state services
State spending on immigrant health benefits far exceeds projections
The Illinois Auditor General has reported that the state spent $1.6 billion on health benefits for immigrants in the country illegally over the past few years, more than half a billion dollars more than was initially expected. The state’s auditor also found that thousands more were improperly enrolled in the program. The audit only extends to the end of last fiscal year and does not include this year’s spending on the program, which would add hundreds of millions more to its cost.
I voted No on last year’s budget in part because it included almost four times as much funding for non-citizens as it did for services to Illinois veterans.
The Auditor General looked at three different state programs providing health benefits. The program which provides benefits to people over 65 cost 84% more than originally estimated. Another program for those between 55 and 64, which was later expanded to cover people as young as 44, cost 284% more than was estimated. In all, the price tag for all these programs in the four-year period of the audit was $1.6 billion.
The Governor proposed eliminating the part of the program for younger people in the upcoming year’s budget but proposed to keep the program for seniors. House Republicans have called for eliminating taxpayer-funded health benefits for those in the country illegally.
You can find the full audit report here.
Proposed ban on cell phones in classrooms
Bans or restrictions on cell phones in classrooms have been passing into law in states across the country, and it looks like the discussion will be coming to Illinois this year as well.
School officials increasingly see cell phones as districting to students and the source of problems with awareness and discipline. Already a dozen states have bans or severe restrictions on the use of cell phones in classrooms, including our neighbors in Indiana. Recently Wisconsin legislators passed a statewide school cell phone ban, and Iowa is also moving in that direction.
Illinois does not have such a statewide ban, but many local school districts have taken action on their own to put bans or restrictions in place. Last month Governor Pritzker said he would support a ban on cell phones in classrooms. I expect this will be an issue that we see in Springfield as the spring session gets moving in the next few weeks.
House Republicans oppose efforts to raise taxes
House Republicans are speaking out against any attempt to push through any more tax increases to fund more government spending this year. Governor Pritzker has proposed a record-setting $55 billion spending bill, the largest in Illinois history, despite the state lacking the revenue to cover all the spending.
Last year Democrats forced through nearly $1 billion in tax increases in the middle of the night at the end of session, and this year they seem to be at it again, proposing different tax hike proposals, including bringing back the progressive income tax increase that was rejected by Illinois voters in 2020. State spending has increased by more than $15 billion since 2019.
With budget negotiations just beginning to get underway, House Republicans will stand with hard-working Illinois families and will oppose any attempt to raise taxes.
Veterans Affairs committee discusses state services
Tuesday afternoon we held a special meeting of the Veterans Affairs committee to hear a series of panels discussing the services available to the more than 552,000 veterans who live in Illinois and their families.
It was a good, wide-ranging conversation about the issues facing veterans and their families. We want to make sure that the programs the state is offering to veterans are accessible and accountable, and most important of all we want to make sure they are working the way they are supposed to.
There were three panels. The first was a foxhole-view, consisting of commanders from Illinois Joining Forces, Illinois Association of Veterans Assistance Commissions, the American Legion, VFW and AMVETS. We then moved to a 20,000-foot view, hearing from state agencies, and then a 40,000-foot view from the federal government.
Over the course of the hearing, we heard some good ideas and identified some areas which need improvement. This will be an ongoing project to ensure the highest quality of services possible for our veterans.
You can see the full hearing here.
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