Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer | Facebook
Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer | Facebook
State Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer (R-Jacksonville) says Rep. Camille Lilly’s Health Care and Human Service Reform Act is simply too expensive.
The more than 200-page bill includes elimination of health care disparities among black Americans, improvements to dementia training requirements for the Illinois Department on Aging, developing a program to prevent and treat sickle cell anemia, and creation of the Community Health Worker Certification and Reimbursement Act.
“Don’t you think it’s premature to pass a bill that you don’t know what it costs?” Davidsmeyer asked. He continued to seek answers about the cost of the bill, which according to Republicans, as reported by the Daily Herald, would cost between $5 billion and $15 billion. “What programs are you going to cut to make sure it's appropriated?” You have to cut something to make this work. This is real money.”
"We don’t have a printing press in the state of Illinois. It’s not Monopoly money," Davidsmeyer said. "Millions couldn’t go to schools because we don’ have it. It’s a false promise. You’re saying, yes we’re going to do this but we’re not really because it's subject to appropriation.”
Looking at the impact of the cost of the bill to Illinoisans he said: “We don’t have the money to fund what we already have so I urge a strong no vote.”
The legislation is scheduled for an Executive Committee Hearing on March 24.
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