Peoria Standard

Jim Rule, Chairman of the Tazewell County Republicans, has called for accountability from Illinois Democrats regarding their spending priorities. He said that Democrats are prioritizing billions in migrant spending over essential services for residents. Rule made these remarks to the Peoria Standard.

"The choice by Illinois Democrats to allocate billions to migrant support while essential services suffer is deeply concerning," said Rule. "Illinoisans struggling with healthcare, education, and infrastructure deserve better attention from their elected officials. This year's $55.2 billion budget is yet another signal that lawmakers are putting politics ahead of people. Without accountability and reform, the financial burden on residents will only grow."

According to the Illinois Policy Institute, by the end of 2025, Illinois is projected to have spent over $2.5 billion on migrant care, a figure that far exceeds initial projections and places a strain on taxpayers. Health care alone accounted for $1.6 billion through July 2024. The adult migrant program, initially expected to cost $126.4 million from 2021 to 2023, ended up totaling $485.3 million. Similarly, the senior program cost $412.3 million, nearly double the original estimates. Since 2023, an additional $478 million has been allocated to fund migrant services. These budget pressures have led to the termination of the adult program in 2025 as critics question Governor J.B. Pritzker's spending priorities.

The Illinois Policy Institute further reported that Illinois' budget for 2026 stands at $55.2 billion—$2 billion more than the previous year—and includes over $800 million in added taxpayer costs. Approved with limited review, this plan relies on tax increases, fund sweeps, and delayed payments to achieve balance while underfunding pensions by $5 billion and eliminating the Property Tax Relief Grant—resulting in a $43 million property tax hike. Lawmakers also included pay raises exceeding $6,000 each within this budget framework. Since taking office in 2019, Governor Pritzker has increased the state budget by $16 billion and approved over 50 tax hikes.

As of February 2024, NBC News reported that more than 13,200 migrants were residing in 28 shelters run by Illinois according to a city census of new arrivals. Most migrants arrived since June 2023 as part of a busing campaign from southern border cities. Over 100,000 migrants have been transported to so-called sanctuary cities since April 2022; about 35,000 of them have come to Chicago specifically—a city which along with New York City and Denver has struggled to meet housing and social service demands due to this influx.

Rule was first elected as Chairman of the Tazewell County Republicans in Morton in 2018. According to the organization’s website, he is "focused on boosting Republican voter turnout, growing the Party’s membership, and communicating the Party’s positions on issues that matter to Tazewell County voters."