Rockford Sun

The Pritzker Administration has announced that it will allow providers to charge co-pays for their free undocumented noncitizen healthcare program. The decision comes after pressure from the General Assembly to rein in the rising costs of the program. Senator Dave Syverson warns that Illinois taxpayers should not be burdened with the cost of providing healthcare to noncitizens, especially when it is more affordable and offers richer benefits than what working families can afford. He also notes that Illinois and California are the only two states in the country offering this type of comprehensive healthcare to noncitizens.

Meanwhile, Senate Republican Leader John Curran is holding Governor Pritzker accountable for the ongoing migrant crisis in Chicago. In an op-ed for the Chicago Tribune, Curran criticizes Pritzker for inviting and mismanaging the crisis. Curran argues that Pritzker's policies and promotion have incentivized noncitizens to come to Illinois, burdening Illinoisans with the cost of the crisis. He states, "The people of Illinois cannot afford the misplaced priorities, radical policies, and grandiose promises of a governor seeking attention on the national stage."

In addition to the healthcare and migrant crisis, a new bill cosponsored by Senator Syverson aims to prevent entities of hostile foreign powers from buying up Illinois farmland. Senate Bill 2668 prohibits purchases of land from countries categorized as hostile by the federal government. The measure aims to maintain national security and reduce the inflation of farmland prices by foreign entities. Similar legislation exists in 24 other states.

The bill includes fines and prison time for violations and mandates the creation of an office of Agricultural Intelligence within the Illinois Department of Agriculture to monitor suspicious land purchases.

The Pritzker Administration's decision to allow co-pays for the undocumented healthcare program, Senator Curran's criticism of the governor's handling of the migrant crisis, and Senator Syverson's efforts to prevent hostile foreign entities from buying farmland are all important developments in the Senate this week.