Prairie State Wire

After the U.S. Census Bureau did a follow-up survey, it appears instead of losing residents, Illinois has gained about 250,000 residents between 2010 and 2020, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Candidate for governor Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Louisville) said the revised Census numbers miss the point.

"Governor Pritzker is grasping at anything to validate his failures," Bailey said. "The US Census Bureau undercounting Illinois residents does not erase his incompetence, nor does it change the fact that people are leaving Illinois because of the high taxes, overregulation, and authoritarian mandates. According to United Van Lines, Illinois had the second-highest move-out rate in the nation. So, while it appears the population numbers in Illinois are not as bad as previously thought, it is also true people are leaving our state. Illinois is second only to New Jersey in outbound moves. Instead of patting himself on the back, Governor Pritzker should be working to improve our economy and make Illinois a more attractive state for new jobs and new opportunities. His woke policies and lock downs hurt working families and stifled real population and economic growth in Illinois. We deserve better."

Bailey is a third-generation farmer who was born and reared in Louisville. Bailey grew up on the family farm, now owned and operated by him and his sons where they grow corn, wheat, and soybeans.

Pritzker sent a letter to President Biden requesting he give Illinois more federal funding due to undercounting in the 2020 U.S. Census. 

“We now have the opportunity to right this wrong by ensuring every Illinoisan receives their equitable amount of federal dollars impacted by the Census,” Pritzker’s letter reads.

Writing in Wirepoints, Mark Glennon said Democratic politicians are trying to sell voters on the idea that historic outmigration has not been occurring in Illinois. 

“In truth, not one of those statements is validated by the new census document," Glennon wrote. "To the contrary, all available evidence continues to indicate that Illinois population has declined significantly in recent years and that the decline has been accelerating. That direct evidence includes, but is hardly limited to, hard migration numbers from the Internal Revenue Service that just this week once again showed that Illinois taxpayers are fleeing."