SPRINGFIELD – State Representative Paul Jacobs (R-Pomona) cast a strong no vote against the FY 24 Illinois budget. Rep. Jacobs says the $50.7 billion spending plan supports flawed priorities and relies on tax increases on food, fuel, and medicine.
“Illinoisans are struggling under the weight of Biden inflation and the highest taxes in the nation,” Jacobs said. “The priorities expressed by Democrats in this budget favor undocumented immigrants, paying for taxpayer-funded abortions, and growing the size and scope of government. Taxpayers will be on the hook for future tax increases because of this budget.”
The budget was the final piece of legislation that the General Assembly had left to take care of after Democrats missed a May 19th self-imposed deadline for adjournment. Jacobs says the budget process lacked transparency, lacks structural reforms to save taxpayer dollars, and prioritizes spending on non-citizens.
“Because this budget was rammed through by the supermajority over the course of a couple of days, there is no way that any legislator could have reviewed it line-by-line,” Jacobs said. “As a result, we have a partisan, one-sided budget. I voted NO.”
The issue of exploding Medicaid costs for undocumented immigrants has been a political football passed back and forth between Democrats and the Governor throughout the 2023 spring Session. Jacobs says he takes issue with Democrats handing power over to Governor Pritzker to manage the program.
“The Governor just ended his 1000+ days of COVID Executive Orders, and Democrats are now giving the Governor emergency rule-making authority to manage the program that pays for health care for undocumented immigrants. Giving this governor sole authority over decision making takes the legislature out of the process and denies our constituents proper representation,” Jacobs said. “That is wrong.”
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