(The Center Square) – A Republican state representative is voicing concern over Illinois’ showing on the latest U.S. News and World Report’s Best States list, including ranking dead last among states for fiscal stability.
“I think that this study just goes to show what I’ve been saying all along,” state Rep. Dan Ugaste, R-Geneva, told The Center Square. “No. 36 is abysmal for the state of Illinois. We should be Top 10, easily. We could be Top 10, easily, if we straighten out the way we run this state from a government perspective.”
In addition to fiscal stability, all 50 states were ranked in categories that included crime and corrections, economy, education, health care, infrastructure, natural environment and opportunity. Illinois placed No. 38 in natural environment, No. 39 in economy, No. 35 in opportunity and No. 50 for fiscal stability.
Among neighboring states, only Kentucky is ranked lower than Illinois at No. 39 overall, with Iowa finishing No. 7, Wisconsin at No. 8, Indiana at No. 29 and Missouri at No. 30.
“It’s bad policy,” Ugaste added of Illinois’ ranking. “That’s all that’s driving it. We’re the hub of the nation for transportation. It’s the mere fact that our government policy is just awful. It doesn’t do what [Democrats] say it’s going to do, which is help our citizens.”
Ugaste argued Springfield’s dysfunction was recently on full display when lawmakers came together to pass a series of unpaid leave bills through both chambers.
“It’s over regulation,” he added. “We passed the seven unpaid leave bills through the House, plus some other bills that are onerous on businesses regarding temporary workers and the like and because of that we harm ourselves and our business climate as to how much it costs to do business within the state. It makes us uncompetitive and therefore we end up losing business.”
Illinois’ latest showing on the annual list is six points lower than in 2021 and Ugaste lamented he doesn’t see any of the slippage coming to an end any time soon.
“Under the current administration and leadership in the House and Senate, absolutely not,” he added. “They just seem to think that piling on is the answer and if they double-down on the same bad policy, it’ll get better somehow. I don’t understand the logic, but that seems to be the way they’re going. Until the people of the state of Illinois start electing different representatives and senators into the majority, changing parties basically, I don’t see it going anywhere.”
The state of Utah ranked first on the Best States list, placing in the top 10 for economy, fiscal stability, infrastructure, education and health care, while Louisiana placed last after ranking at the bottom for crime & corrections and economy.
