SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois legislators will be busy over the next few days, passing bills and putting together a new state budget during the last scheduled week of the spring session.
The most daunting task is drafting the state’s spending plan for the new fiscal year that begins on July 1.
Some sticking points may be Medicaid reimbursement rates and a rapidly expanding health care program for undocumented immigrants.
Governor J-B Pritzker was asked about those pressures last week.
“The General Assembly is considering all the options, the budgeteers as well as the various caucuses. But, my priority, to be clear, is balancing the budget…I’ve done that every year with the leaders, we need to make sure we do that again,” Pritzker said.
“We’re on a great trajectory from a fiscal perspective, we want to stay on that trajectory,” Pritzker added.
Several bills have already been passed, including one banning indoor vaping in public spaces and another making it illegal to be on a Zoom call or watch a video while driving. They still need to be signed into law by the governor.
Governor Pritzker said last week that he hopes lawmakers will consider some of his ideas for controlling costs.
“It is possible, for example, that there could be for some people, co-pays. Another is a question about reimbursement rates, and what level of reimbursement rates there would be for whatever service that’s given,” Pritzker said.
Illinois’ legislature is scheduled to adjourn this Friday (May 19), but that’s more of an artificial deadline.
Lawmakers typically aim to be done by the end of May, since starting June 1, it takes more votes to pass anything that takes effect immediately.
