Macon Reporter

Illinois state Rep. Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville) fears the Democrats in Springfield's known propensity for spending only means more trouble for the state.

“They simply enjoy spending more and more and it’s clearly not the right avenue,” Halbrook told the Macon Reporter. “It just continues to put the state in a really tight spot.”

Halbrook argues the state’s newly passed $42 billion spending plan is no exception, pointing to a provision in the bill that would make Illinois the first state in the country to provide Medicaid benefits to undocumented immigrants. As of July 1, 2021, undocumented immigrants over the age of 65 with incomes of $12,670 or less would be eligible to receive Medicaid benefits. 

“It’s just not the right thing to do,” Halbrook added. “Instead of putting our house in order and cutting spending we’re still doing things like passing this budget that's billions out of balance.”

By Halbrook’s estimation, the budget that Democrats banded to pass during the recent four-day special session and send to the governor’s desk is at least $6 billion in the red.

“I really think it sets a bad precedent to be passing a budget that much out of balance,” he said. “On top of that, we’re relying on borrowing billions from the federal government and hoping for revenues from the progressive tax that we can’t be sure about to hold together.”

Halbrook said Republican House members had no say in crafting the new legislation and that’s a big part of the problem.

“Gov. J.B. Pritzker has a real bad habit of only wanting to do things his way and that’s become even more evident by the way he’s handled this coronavirus crisis,” he said.