McLean County Times

Illinois state Rep. Dennis Tipsword (R-Metamora) provided a Facebook update on May 24 regarding the House's examination of the budget.

Gov. JB Pritzker, House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch (D-Hillside) and Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) announced a budget agreement during a press conference.

"Just after 3 pm Governor Pritzker, Speaker Welch, and President Harmon held a press conference and told Illinois they had an agreed budget," Tipsword said in the Facebook post. "It is now 9:20 pm and your state legislature has been held hostage with no budget to see…"

The following day, Tipsword posted to Facebook on May 25.

"2024 Proposed Budget just dropped," he said. "First opportunity to Vote will be Saturday."

Although Pritzker and the Democratic leadership announced an agreement on May 25, it was not finalized yet, a report from WTTW said. It was introduced as proposal SB250.

"A proposal (SB250) outlining their priorities for state spending — including more money for education, from early childhood through higher ed, upticks in Medicaid reimbursements and funding for a variety of programs like anti-violence prevention and healthcare for undocumented residents — was introduced after the top Democrats’ announcement," the report said.

In addition, WTTW explained that the major obstacle that delayed the budget was the provision for health care coverage for undocumented residents, with the program's expenses increasing from the Pritzker administration’s initial estimate of $220 million to $1 billion, but measures will be taken to control and reduce those costs in the upcoming years.

Pritzker emphasized that the agreement relies on granting him necessary tools, such as implementing copays, to control rising costs. That would ensure the provision of health care for current program beneficiaries and secure its future in a budget-friendly manner, ultimately ensuring access to necessary health care for everyone.

Harmon initially introduced Senate Bill 250 in late January. As of May 25, it has been referred back to the Senate Assignment Committee. The bill would appropriate "$2 from the General Revenue Fund to the Court of Claims for its FY23 ordinary and contingent expenses." The bill would go into effect after July 1, 2023.

Tipsword was elected to represent the people of the 105th House District in 2022, his website biography said. He is a lifelong Illinois resident, a former small-business owner, a 12-year member of the Woodford County Central Committee and a 15-year volunteer youth sports coach.