Lake County Gazette

Republican state House candidate Chris Bos fears the $42 billion state budget passed by Illinois Democrats only stands to create more issues for the long troubled state.

“This level of irresponsible spending ultimately falls back on every family and every child for generations to come,” Bos, now running against incumbent state Rep. Mary Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville) in the 51st District, told the Lake County Gazette. 

Bos, a Lake Zurich native, argues that harsh reality is as evident as it gets when one considers a provision in the new spending plan that Democrats banded together to send to the desk of Gov. J.B. Pritzker stands to make Illinois the first state in the country to provide Medicaid regardless of immigration status. As of July 1, 2021, undocumented immigrants over the age of 65 with incomes of $12,670 or less would be eligible to receive Medicaid benefits.

“It’s not shocking, but it’s beyond frustrating that they would throw caution to the wind and spend more money like they always have,” Bos added. “It’s just like when they passed HB 40 under then-Gov. (Bruce) Rauner to cover abortion for anyone in state at a time when we couldn’t afford that either.”

Bos argues that with Democrats having been in power as long as they have across the state, the party has almost grown numb to considering the welfare of anyone else in many of the decisions they make.

“It goes back to a system not looking at the bottom-line or looking at how what they do impacts all taxpayers,” he said. “Like this movement for vote-by-mail, I don’t think enough legislators understand the totality of what it would mean to pass something like that.”

With this being an election year, Bos said he suspects that party leaders may have even more motivation for pushing such a measure.

“Everything done in an election year has ulterior motives,” he said. “Everything is done with the thought of will this help get more of us elected. We need to get back to the days of representing people instead of a party, and listening to voters instead of party bosses.”