SPRINGFIELD - The Health and Human Services budget has just passed the Illinois House along party lines - and during floor debate, State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) had a difficult time explaining why suddenly this afternoon diabetes research funding was omitted from the this year's budget.
GOP state reps Jim Sacia and Dennis Reboletti both asked how and when the decision was made to remove the diabetes research, because it was included in budget amendments earlier in the day.
"It is a question because of things that happened within the past 24 hours," Sacia said.
Yesterday and Minority Leader Tom Cross - who's high school age daughter deals with Type 1 Diabetes - staunchly spoke out against House Speaker Mike Madigan's pension plan, the lack of Republican input into budget decisions, and ultimately the decision for Republicans to not support the Democrats' budget proposal.
The question remains: after being in the budget fot the past 10 or so years, was this year's diabetes research cut a result of Madigan's revenge?