On Tuesday, Governor JB Pritzker approved the $56 billion Fiscal Year 2027 Illinois State Budget, which spends nearly a billion dollars more than last year.
The Democratic majority’s budget, passed in the early morning hours of the final day of session, is a record-high $55.9 billion and relies on $800 million in new revenue, including new taxes on social media platforms and digital ads, while raiding another $150 million of revenue from the state sales tax on gas.
During his bill signing ceremony, Governor Pritzker continued to play the blame game, attacking President Trump and blaming the federal government for Illinois’ budget challenges.
Deputy Republican Leader Norine Hammond (R-Macomb) issued the following statement in response to Governor Pritzker’s approval of the new State budget:
“The Democrats’ record-high spending plan signed by Gov. Pritzker is a shell game that hurts Illinois taxpayers. This shell game budget moves money from one fund to another while not really cutting anything.
“It’s absurd for the Democratic majority to say there’s no new taxes on working families in this budget. Who do they think will end up paying for the new social media and digital ad taxes? These taxes will be passed along to those using these platforms. It’s the same with the tax hikes on Illinois businesses. The people who will end up paying for these tax hikes are Illinois consumers.
“Working families and seniors will continue to have more taken from their wallets under Gov. Pritzker’s record-high spending plan. We can and must do better for the hardworking taxpayers of Illinois.”
Governor Pritzker’s Pattern of Deflection:
Budget: Governor Pritzker blames the federal government for Illinois’ budget challenges, despite state spending increasing by nearly 40% during his tenure.
SNAP: The Governor criticizes federal officials for removing people from SNAP (food stamp) benefits, while Illinois continues to struggle with an error rate exceeding 11%.
Redistricting: Governor Pritzker accuses Republicans of attempting to rig elections, yet he signed the most partisan legislative maps in the nation into law.
Affordability: The Governor points to Washington for rising costs, while Illinois families have faced 57 tax and fee hikes costing them $77 billion during Pritzker’s administration, and continue to bear the highest overall tax burdens in the country.
Immigration: Governor Pritzker has called for cooperation with federal law enforcement, yet his own administration supported sanctuary state policies that limit that cooperation. This year’s budget includes more than $400 million in taxpayer-funded services for illegal immigrants.
Chicago Bears: As the Bears explore options that could take them out of Illinois, Governor Pritzker has sought to blame the team rather than recognize he was mostly absent in Springfield this session to deal with the negotiations.
Illinois families deserve leadership that takes responsibility and delivers results, not excuses. While Governor Pritzker continues to shift blame, Illinoisans are left to deal with higher costs, growing uncertainty, and missed opportunities.
House Republicans unanimously opposed Governor Pritzker’s latest budget, which includes $800 million in new taxes, and have proposals aimed at keeping the Chicago Bears in Illinois while protecting taxpayers and promoting economic growth.
