Legislators return to Springfield this week as discussions continue on the budget. Currently, the Governor’s proposed budget stands at almost $50 billion, an increase from the previous year. Meanwhile, revenue is slowing as pandemic-era federal funding is drying up and a recession looms.
A major point of contention among the Majority Party seems to be the ballooning $1.1 billion free healthcare program for undocumented immigrants. That estimate was recently released, which is a drastic increase from the original Fiscal Year 2024 estimate of $220 million.
Senate Republicans worry this extremely expensive program for non-citizens could ultimately squeeze out other budgetary priorities, including fully funding services for citizens with developmental disabilities, which have been underfunded by half a billion dollars.