East Central Reporter

State Representative Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville) has called for greater accountability from Governor J.B. Pritzker following errors in Illinois’ administration of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Halbrook’s comments come after the Governor attributed the state’s high SNAP error rate to factors beyond his control, including federal policies and the size of Illinois.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that Illinois’ SNAP error rate reached 11.56% in fiscal year 2024. The error rate is calculated by dividing the total amount of incorrect SNAP payments by the total payments made through the program. Under new federal guidelines, states with an error rate above 10% must reimburse the federal government for 15% of annual program costs, which could cost Illinois taxpayers $705 million each year.

“Incredibly, Governor Pritzker’s first response was to dodge accountability and claim that larger states naturally have higher error rates. That’s not just false—it’s insulting,” said Rep. Halbrook. “In reality, states like California and Texas have lower error rates than Illinois. In fact, every state bordering Illinois— including Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, Wisconsin, and Kentucky—has a lower error rate. So much for the ‘big state’ excuse.”

Governor Pritzker has argued that larger states tend to experience more administrative errors in programs like SNAP and accused congressional Republicans of seeking to undermine safety net programs by enforcing penalties for exceeding established thresholds. USDA data shows that Illinois ranks among the twelve worst states nationally for SNAP payment errors.

“This isn’t about Republicans or federal policies — this is about mismanagement right here at home,” Halbrook continued. “Pritzker has been in office for six years. These errors occurred under his watch. The buck stops with him. He’d rather blame Congress than hold his own administration accountable.”

Halbrook was elected as a Republican to represent Illinois' 107th House District in 2023, succeeding Blaine Wilhour.

Further information on state-by-state SNAP error rates can be found at FNS.USDA.gov.