Latest news with #JB Pritzker
The Independent
19-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Illinois mulls ending a health program for some immigrants living in the US illegally
Gov. JB Pritzker 's positioning of Illinois as a sanctuary state, a welcoming port for immigrants from across the globe, hit the hard reality of state budgeting this spring. The Democrat is a leading critic of President Donald Trump 's administration, especially its immigration policies. But facing a budget shortfall for the upcoming fiscal year, Pritzker's proposed $55.2 billion fiscal plan would cut part of a four-year-old program providing health coverage to some adults regardless of immigration status. Illinois is one of seven states and the District of Columbia to offer such a program. California, which last year one-upped Illinois by offering health care to all adult immigrants, has run into a similar revenue problem and plans to halt enrollment in its program. Rep. Barbara Hernandez, a suburban Chicago Democrat, said the program helps many families. 'There's a huge need in the undocumented community that cannot get health care otherwise,' she said. If Democrats, who control the Illinois General Assembly, can't find money to continue the plan — estimated to cost $404 million this year — tens of thousands of migrants will be left without Medicaid-style health coverage. It might not be just a question of revenue, but of will, given threats by congressional Republicans. As the GOP attempts to cut spending, including Medicaid, to make Trump's hoped-for tax cuts affordable, states' immigrant health programs will be in the crosshairs. What is the program? In 2020, Illinois became the first state to offer needs-based health insurance to all older adults, including low-income migrants who entered the country illegally, when it introduced Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors, covering those 65 and older. In 2021, it introduced a second program which became Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults, for immigrants aged 42 to 64. Enrollment in both programs has been halted, but the seniors' program will continue for current enrollees after June 30, while the program for those younger than 65 will end. What's happening elsewhere? California, Minnesota, Oregon and Washington, D.C. also provide public health insurance to adults, regardless of immigration status, according to the Los Angeles-based National Immigration Law Center. Colorado and Washington provide insurance obtained via the private market with state financial support. Like Illinois, New York covers older migrants with a public program. California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who like Pritzker has presidential ambitions, last week announced a freeze on enrollment in that state's immigrant health care program. Costs ran $2.7 billion over forecast for 1.6 million participants. How big — and costly — is the Illinois program? There are about 31,500 program participants in the under-65 crowd and the cost to cover them this year is estimated at $404 million. The two programs together enroll over 43,300 at an estimated cost of $538 million this year. With an estimated 400,000 immigrants without legal permission to live in Illinois, supporters point out that participation is likely far below eligibility. Why is free health care available to migrants? Supporters say the programs ensure a healthier state. People are more able to work. They're more likely to visit doctors and catch small problems before they become catastrophes. They can manage chronic illnesses such as diabetes and stave off new health concerns. And they're not exactly getting it for free, proponents maintain. Immigrant-led households in Illinois pay $8.6 billion a year in state and local taxes, according to a 2024 University of Illinois at Chicago study. "This argument of immigrants leeching or taking resources — they're actually more likely to be working and additionally are absolutely paying taxes for which they are not receiving benefits in return,' said Tovia Siegel of The Resurrection Project, a Chicago-based immigrant justice advocacy group. Illinois Republicans aren't on board. Rep. Ryan Spain, a deputy House minority leader from Peoria, points out that Congressional Republicans are wondering why states complaining about federal cuts to Medicaid somehow have enough in state coffers to cover the immigrant programs. 'The high cost of the program outweighs some of the arguments proponents make,' Spain said. 'It's an unaffordable beacon to attract additional illegal immigrants to the state of Illinois.' Are there tangible cost savings? The programs have saved Illinois hospitals considerable sums, according to a study released this month. People without insurance often treat the emergency room, where costs can by sky-high, as their doctor's office. Hospitals often eat those bills. A study by the Embodying Racism Lab at the University of Chicago found that since the Health Benefits for Immigrants programs started, hospitals' bad debt — payment owed for services which administrators consider "unlikely or unattainable" — fell by 15%, the equivalent of $1.5 million per year per hospital. 'Our findings suggest these programs have the potential to both improve equity in healthcare access and ease the financial burden on hospitals that serve all residents of Illinois,' the study reported. What are lawmakers doing? Talks about putting together a state budget are just warming up, even though the Legislature's spring session ends May 31. Sen. Elgie Sims of Chicago, the Senate Democrats' appropriations leader, said the health program is one of many worthy endeavors vying for a place in the spending column. Matthew Lopas, director of state advocacy for the National Immigration Law Center, issued a challenge to Pritzker and the General Assembly to 'hold the line and remain committed' during 'a time of extremist politicians who are out there scapegoating immigrants.'
New York Times
12-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
In Illinois Senate Race, Old Grudges and a Test of Pritzker's Power
The Democratic contest for an Illinois Senate seat is shaping up as a test of the political power of Gov. JB Pritzker over a primary field of candidates who enter the race with deep animosity for one another and skepticism about the governor's influence. Few policy differences exist among the three declared candidates and others who might enter the race in the coming weeks. Instead, Illinois Democrats are prepared for a contest animated by personal and political grudges stemming from the Statehouse, the halls of Congress and the governor's mansion. The race formally began late last month, when Senator Richard J. Durbin announced that he would not seek a sixth term. But the Democrats now vying for his seat have been prepping their campaigns for years. Mr. Pritzker's choice, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, created a super PAC in January. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi has amassed a $19 million war chest — far more than he would ever need in his safe district that covers Chicago's western suburbs. And Representative Robin Kelly of Chicago has won endorsements from 18 members of the Congressional Black Caucus. The biggest question hanging over the Democratic primary concerns money — how much Mr. Pritzker intends to spend to back Ms. Stratton, who, like most lieutenant governors, has little profile of her own. Electing Ms. Stratton could be a boon for Mr. Pritzker as he positions himself ahead of the 2028 presidential contest, in which she could serve as a valuable campaign surrogate. The governor, a billionaire, is no stranger to cutting enormous checks. In 2022, he spent more than $35 million just to influence the Republican primary in his re-election campaign. But Mr. Pritzker's push to send Ms. Stratton to the Senate has been met with resistance by the state's congressional delegation, whose members have chafed over the influence his billions have had in the state. That irritation has combined with a host of personal and political resentments among the candidates, Mr. Pritzker and Senator Tammy Duckworth, another early endorser of Ms. Stratton. All told, the contest has enough beef to satisfy a busy lunch hour at one of Chicago's sandwich shops. 'This is Illinois, which is a place of sharp elbows and rough-and-tumble politics,' said Representative Nikki Budzinski, a Democrat who said she was not running for the Senate. 'I can't tell you that doesn't seep into the natural process of a statewide election.' The interpersonal rivalries and longtime feuds animating the race are manifold. In 2021, Ms. Kelly defeated Mr. Pritzker's candidate to become chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois. In another election a year later, Mr. Pritzker pushed Ms. Kelly out and installed his chosen candidate. Ms. Kelly was also Mr. Krishnamoorthi's boss when they worked together in the office of the Illinois State Treasurer in the 2000s, a period that ended with the two on bad terms. Mr. Krishnamoorthi declined to speak about his work with Ms. Kelly. She said, 'We're fine now.' Meanwhile, in 2012, Mr. Krishnamoorthi lost a bitter House primary to Ms. Duckworth, whose seat he won four years later when she was elected to the Senate. In the House, Mr. Krishnamoorthi quickly became a fund-raising juggernaut. His $19 million — by far the most of any candidate in the race — has prompted jealous ire from others in the Illinois House delegation and made him the target of quiet barbs from rivals. Ms. Stratton's team has sought to frame the race as a two-way one between her and Mr. Krishnamoorthi, a clear snub of Ms. Kelly. There is also the prospect of Representative Lauren Underwood's joining the race. Mr. Pritzker's team is not so subtly warning her against doing so — suggesting privately that at 38, Ms. Underwood, who represents Chicago's southwest suburbs, has a long future ahead of her in Congress. Left unmentioned: A third Black woman entering the race would most likely be unhelpful for Ms. Stratton. The NBC affiliate in Chicago recently reported that Mr. Pritzker's allies were calling Ms. Underwood 'damaged goods' in private conversations, a story that Mr. Pritzker and his aides vehemently denied while suggesting someone who wanted to bait Ms. Underwood into the race had planted it. 'I welcome anybody who wants to join the race,' Ms. Stratton said. But when she was asked specifically if she thought it was a good idea for Ms. Underwood to get in, Ms. Stratton's aide cut off the questioning by saying, 'We're going to stay away from specifics on people right now.' Ms. Underwood is the candidate best known across the state, even though Ms. Stratton has served in statewide office since 2019. 'When we look at polling and the data, I'm positioned to win,' Ms. Underwood said. 'I'm not trying to be divisive or pit people against each other.' While all of the candidates portray themselves as a bulwark against the Trump administration, their styles differ. Ms. Stratton said Democrats could not negotiate with the president because he was not an honest broker. Mr. Krishnamoorthi said he would do 'everything in my power' to stand up to Mr. Trump. And Ms. Kelly contrasted her experience working to pass legislation in a divided Congress with Mr. Pritzker and Ms. Stratton's accomplishments, which have come with Democratic supermajorities in the State Legislature. 'If you just worked in Illinois, it's Democrat, Democrat, Democrat,' Ms. Kelly said. 'I know how to work with everybody.' There are still others who have considered or are thinking about entering the race. Sheila Nix, who grew up in Chicago's suburbs and served as Vice President Kamala Harris's campaign chief of staff, spent the weekend of the White House Correspondents' Association dinner last month asking whether she should become a candidate. 'I did give it thought for a little bit, but I think it's not going to work,' Ms. Nix, who remains a top adviser to Ms. Harris, said. 'I would have had to have started raising money a while ago.' A recent poll about the Senate race that circulated among Illinois Democrats included Representative Sean Casten and Gilbert Villegas, a Chicago alderman. Mr. Casten's spokesman, Jacob Vurpillat, said the congressman 'does not intend to run right now.' Mr. Villegas said the poll had been commissioned by Latino businessmen concerned that the Senate field did not include Latinos or veterans (Mr. Villegas served as a Marine in the Persian Gulf war of 1991). 'Unless there is a $50 million check that comes with this, it's going to be a tough run,' Mr. Villegas said. Ms. Stratton dodged questions about what commitments Mr. Pritzker might have made to her. Her aides said he had not promised a specific figure. Mr. Pritzker declined to be interviewed. Mr. Krishnamoorthi issued a warning to Mr. Pritzker, an heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune, about using his billions to seed a super PAC to attack him on Ms. Stratton's behalf. Citing the 2010 Supreme Court decision that allowed unlimited corporate spending in elections, Mr. Krishnamoorthi said the cash in his campaign account would help him 'fend off potential attacks from the likes of Elon Musk or anyone else who might take advantage of Citizens United and unleash large sums of money to mischaracterize either my record or any aspect of our campaign.' And then there are the Republicans. Democrats in Illinois have won every statewide election for a decade, but Representative Darin LaHood, a Peoria Republican, said he had been talking with Senator John Thune of South Dakota, the majority leader, and Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, the chairman of the Senate G.O.P. campaign committee, about entering the race. Illinois Republicans do not have a viable backup plan if Mr. LaHood, who represents a rural, safely Republican district, passes on the race. Former Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich, a Democrat who was impeached and went to prison after being convicted of trying to sell the Senate seat vacated when Barack Obama became president, said in an interview that he, too, was weighing a run. Mr. Blagojevich, who called himself 'the best governor in modern Illinois political history,' now refers to himself as a 'Trumpocrat,' after Mr. Trump pardoned him in February. He said he had not decided which party's primary he might enter. 'Party labels are less important than they used to be,' he said. One constant in discussions with Illinois officials is that the Senate race is as fluid and unpredictable a contest as any the state has seen in decades. It is not yet clear how many other candidates will enter the race, or when. And some of those now running could decide the safer bet is to hold on to their House seats, rather than risk a primary loss. 'You're looking at the Kentucky Derby and only about half the horses are at the gate,' said Representative Mike Quigley, a Chicago Democrat. 'Some of the horses that are at the gate won't be at the gate when the race starts, and some of the horses that will be in the gate aren't lining up yet.'
Forbes
09-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Pritzker Poses As Small Business Champion, His Record Shows Otherwise
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 18: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks at the office of The Center for ... More American Progress (CAP) Action Fund on March 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. Pritzker spoke about his views of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration so far. (Photo by) Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker's (D) April visit to New Hampshire, site of the nation's first presidential primary, is fueling speculation about a prospective White House bid in 2028. During his speech in the Granite State, the Illinois Governor criticized various aspects of President Donald Trump's first 100 days back in office, noting that 'small businesses don't deserve to be bankrupted by unsustainable tariffs.' The Governor's tariff criticism, however, will sound hypocritical to many of those familiar with legislation that Pritzker has championed in the past, along with new progressive bills heading toward his desk that he might sign later this year. At the same time that Governor Pritzker is hitting President Trump's tariffs for driving up costs for employers and consumers, however, legislation is working its way toward Pritzker's desk that would impose new costs on employers, particularly small businesses, and reduce convenience for families across Illinois. Take Senate Bill 1531, legislation that would ban disposable food containers made of polystyrene foam beginning in 2030. SB 1531 passed out of the Illinois Senate on April 30 and now awaits consideration by the Illinois House. As an enforcement mechanism for this new food container prohibition, SB 1531 imposes a $1,000 fine for all infractions beyond the first one. In addition to that new food container ban proposal, Illinois lawmakers are also considering legislation to ban plastic shopping bags statewide, something a dozen states have done. That bill, Senate Bill 1872, would also apply a 10 cent tax to every paper bag used at checkout. It will be hard for Governor Pritzker to hit President Trump for the regressive nature of new tariffs when Pritzker himself is signing into law regressive tax hikes like the one SB 1872 would levy on paper bags. 'As Gov. Pritzker has vehemently opposed President Trump's tariff plan and its pending impact to small businesses, the timing of this legislation seems off,' notes Bryce Hill, director of fiscal analysis for the Illinois Policy Institute. Should SB 1531 make it to Governor Pritzker's desk and he sign it, that would provide fodder for anyone who wishes to paint Pritzker's attacks on Trump as hypocritical. The incongruence between attacking the President for imposing new costs on small businesses through tariffs while also supporting state legislation to impose new costs on small businesses will be a politically inconvenient fact for Governor Pritzker to explain. During his April speech in New Hampshire, Governor Pritzker postured as defender of small business, yet it's hard to square that perception with the fact that Pritzker has spent millions advocating for income tax rate hikes that would fall on most small businesses. Pritzker, for example, led the charge for a 2020 ballot measure that would allow him to impose progressive state income tax hikes that would reduce the job creating and sustaining capacity of small businesses across Illinois. While that proposal was rejected by more than 53% of Illinois voters, critics say the campaign demonstrated that Pritzker is no champion of small business. 'Gov. J.B. Pritzker does a lot for show and soundbites that don't add up to good policy for everyday Illinoisans or business,' the Illinois Policy Institute's Bryce Hill added. 'While he should be easing the onerous financial burden on Illinois' businesses, he's instead looking for new costs and regulations to tack on. Small businesses in Illinois are subject to the third-highest corporate income tax rate in the nation, which has hurt economic growth and contributed to Illinois seeing one of the slowest pandemic recoveries. Pritzker also hit businesses with $650 million in tax hikes during the pandemic, plus another $186 million in tax hike in last year's budget alone.' 'Businesses with under 20 employees, including many restaurants and bars, added nearly 31,000 jobs to the state in 2023,' Hill added. 'These small businesses are the only ones to add to Illinois' job market since the pandemic. If Pritzker really cared about Illinois small businesses, he'd make improving the state's hostile business environment his top priority.' The fact that Illinois continues to experience net population loss as a result domestic outmigration to other states does not discourage Pritzker from talking about Illinois as a model for good governance. 'I'm one of the people leading the fight, and that is my role,' Governor Pritzker said in an interview conducted during his visit to New Hampshire. 'We've done an awful lot in Illinois, and we can be doing those things in other states.' Pritzker's talk about exporting Illinois-style policies to other states, however, is unlikely to sound appealing to the tens of thousands of individuals and families who have fled the Land of Lincoln since 2019, the year Pritzker took office. If the plastic bag ban coupled with the paper bag tax, or the polystyrene food container prohibition make it to his desk, Pritzker will soon have a consequential decision to make. Pritzker will have to decide whether to sign more legislation that makes progressives happy, but which also drives up costs for employers and undercuts his attacks on President Trump.
Fox News
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Blue state governor vows 'resistance' as Trump admin targets sanctuary policies
Gov. J.B. Pritzker, D-Ill., promised President Donald Trump's administration "resistance" on Wednesday following Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem's immigration press conference near the Governor's Mansion in Springfield, Illinois. "Secretary Noem must have not realized she was visiting during Latino Unity Day where we come together to celebrate the vibrancy and diversity of our community," Pritzker said in a press release. "Today, Secretary Noem was met by a force stronger than her: the people of Illinois. Illinoisans are sending a clear message to Trump's lackeys that we will not let you mess with us without a resistance." Noem hosted the Illinois press conference "to call out the state's sanctuary policies that undermine the rule of law and endanger fellow Americans," urging Pritzker and his fellow Illinois Democrats to "abandon these dangerous sanctuary policies" and "return to law and order." Noem was joined by two "Angel Families," who had family members killed by illegal immigrants in Illinois. DEM GOVERNOR BLASTS TRUMP, MUSK IN NEW ATTACK CAMPAIGN AS 2028 BUZZ GROWS Fox News reported at least two dozen protesters were shouting and holding up signs during Noem's press conference. Before the press conference began, the location was changed to the site where a woman was allegedly killed by a noncitizen. "Unlike Donald Trump and Kristi Noem, Illinois follows the law," Pritzker fired back after Noem's press conference. POTENTIAL 2028 HOPEFUL ACCUSED OF 'INCITING VIOLENCE' AFTER CALL FOR 'MASS PROTESTS' AGAINST TRUMP While Noem raged against Pritzker's policies, the Illinois governor and potential 2028 presidential contender, who has stood out among the Democratic Party as a vocal opponent to Trump's second term, accused the Trump administration of violating due process with their illegal immigration crackdown. "The Trump administration is violating the United States Constitution, denying people due process, and disappearing law-abiding neighbors, including children who are U.S. citizens. Yet, they are taking no real action to promote public safety and deport violent criminals within the clear and defined legal process," Priztker said. Pritzker continued his streak of speaking out against the Trump administration as their latest contention found its way to his backyard on Wednesday. "Trump-Noem publicity stunts do not make our communities safer or our immigration system smarter," Pritzker said. Ahead of Noem's visit, Pritzker trolled the Homeland Security secretary in an apparent dig for once killing a dog, as outlined in her book released last year when she was still the governor of South Dakota. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "We would urge all pet owners in the region to make sure all of your beloved animals are under watchful protection while the Secretary is in the region," Pritzker's office wrote in a statement to reporters. The Department of Homeland Security responded to Pritzker's press release in a statement to Fox News Digital. "What's unlawful and unconstitutional is Governor Pritzker's sanctuary city laws that embolden violent criminal illegal aliens that victimize and kill Americans." Fox News' Olivianna Calmes contributed to this report.
