SPRINFIELD, Ill. — State leaders and lawmakers, either supporters or opponents of the Illinois state budget for Fiscal Year 2026, issued statements early Sunday morning after state lawmakers approved the $55.2 billion budget and $1.1 billion tax package minutes before their midnight deadline Saturday night.
Lawmakers also reacted to major legislation aiming to reform Chicago-area transit agencies and avoid a looming fiscal cliff by hiking delivery fees statewide, which passed out of the Senate but stalled in the House.
Here is some of what state leaders, lawmakers and others had to say after the state budget was passed:
Supporters
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker:
"The passage of the FY26 balanced budget is a testament to Illinois’ fiscal responsibility. Even in the face of Trump and Congressional Republicans stalling the national economy, our state budget delivers for working families without raising their taxes while protecting the progress we are making for our long-term fiscal health. I’m grateful to Speaker Welch, President Harmon, the budget teams, and all the legislators and stakeholders who collaborated to shape and pass this legislation. I look forward to signing my seventh balanced budget in a row and continuing to build a stronger Illinois."
Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton:
“Since Governor Pritzker and I came into office, we have been focused on replacing fiscal chaos with strength and stability. For the seventh year in a row, we are delivering a balanced budget to working families without sacrificing responsibility or compassion. I am grateful to everyone who worked long hours to get this across the finish line to make our communities safer, happier, and more prosperous. No matter what chaos or reckless policies ooze out of the Trump administration, the people of Illinois know that their leaders are capable of working together to hammer out differences, cut through the noise, and do right by the working families of this state."
Illinois Senate President Don Harmon:
"Despite the economic uncertainty emanating from Washington, we approved a budget that invests hundreds of millions of new dollars in public education, protects access to critical hospitals and health care facilities and does it all without raising state income or sales taxes. We all wish we could do more. But this is a responsible, balanced budget that continues our work to improve the lives of the great people of the great State of Illinois. I want to thank the members of the Senate Democratic Caucus, the House Democratic Caucus, Speaker Welch and Governor Pritzker for the united effort to achieve our shared goals."
Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch:
“In a year in which every aspect of our budget-making process has been affected by the extreme and erratic leadership of Donald Trump and his allies, this balanced budget is crafted to be fiscally and socially responsible — because we see the decisions made in Washington right now are neither. The decisions that shaped this budget were not easy, but were made strategically, using the best information we have to make the best decisions for working families and seniors throughout Illinois.”
Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza (in part):
"I am pleased the governor and legislators completed their work on time in passing a budget for the next fiscal year beginning July 1. This budget aims to provide greater protection for medical programs, especially for safety-net hospitals, and funds key state priorities for needs like education, MAP grants for college students, social and human services, health care, nursing homes and public safety. … I want to stress that the work may not be done. Constant threats of cuts to federal funding endanger some of the vital programs that serve our most vulnerable. My office will closely monitor the situation and continue to pay bills as quickly as possible with the available resources under this budget."
Sarah Saheb, Director of Economic Security Illinois:
"In a challenging fiscal climate, this budget includes victories that will make a real difference for Illinois families. Doubling the Child Tax Credit means hundreds more dollars back in parents’ pockets to cover everyday costs like groceries, rent, and childcare."
Opponents
Illinois Rep. Dan Ugaste (R-Geneva):
“Once again, the Democrat majority is raising taxes by another $1 billion on Illinois families, businesses, and job creators to pay for their bad policies and misplaced priorities. The temporary revenue sources included in this budget continue a never-ending cycle that will likely lead to future tax increases. The budget also includes a pay raise and pork projects that are targeted for Democrat-controlled districts only. The process this year included the Democrats choosing to go it alone to bring forth the budget and other important pieces of legislation in the final moments of the legislative session. Illinois families deserve better than Democrats’ continued reckless and non-transparent practices. We should be focusing on economic growth through reforms and good policies with no tax increases. It only requires common sense to prevail in Illinois to improve our state, rather than the majority party’s focus on reactionary and costly policies."
Illinois Chamber of Commerce (in part):
"At the start of the legislative session, the Illinois Chamber of Commerce was encouraged by Governor Pritzker’s proposed budget, which emphasized fiscal discipline, investment in education, and economic development, without raising taxes. The final $55.2 billion FY26 budget passed by the General Assembly tells a different story. It includes more than $350 million in expansive and punitive corporate income tax increases and creates new gaming taxes, short-term rental taxes, tobacco taxes, telecommunications taxes, and increased fees. This breaks the commitment to avoid new taxes and sends the wrong message to employers across the state. While we applaud the economic development package that aims to attract and retain good jobs and employers, we are disappointed by the costs on businesses contained in the final budget package, which will harm the state’s business climate and growth opportunities. As policy impedes growth, it impacts jobs, and that, in turn, affects communities all across the state."
Tom Demmer, Illinois Policy Institute:
"This budget relies on one–time sweeps, tax diversions and budget gimmicks to avoid dealing with the real issues: Illinois has the highest tax burden of any state and that our spending continues to grow faster than our revenues. Any claims of ‘cuts’ in this budget minimize that Illinois spending is still trending up significantly. Add in millions for pet projects exclusively for members of one political party and it’s clear Illinois leaders are being reckless with taxpayers’ money. This is the exact opposite of what state leaders should be doing. Taxpayers can’t afford this."
Bryce Hill, Illinois Policy Institute (in part):
"With just over 24 hours to consider thousands of pages of legislation on spending and tax changes, the Illinois General Assembly has approved a record-setting state budget that includes more than $800 million in revenue gimmicks featuring tax hikes, fund sweeps and temporary measures that fail to truly balance the state’s budget. The process was so rushed that even bill sponsors seem unclear on the exact amount taxpayers will be asked to pay."
Transit legislation
Transit agencies and state lawmakers also reacted to the measure that passed the Senate but failed in the House.
Tina Fassett Smith, Regional Transportation Authority spokesperson:
"We are grateful for the months of work of the General Assembly toward both funding and reform for the region’s transit system. It’s clear that many in both the House and Senate support transit, and our intention is to build on that shared support to identify the funding needed to avoid devastating cuts and disruption for everyone in Northeast Illinois. Balancing regional interests is challenging, but we are ready to continue our work to achieve consensus and deliver a solution. In the coming weeks the RTA will work with the Service Boards on a regional budget that by law must only include funding we are confident the system will receive in 2026."
Illinois Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago):
"Over the last 19 months, I have collaborated and held discussions with stakeholders, advocates, transit workers and everyday riders about the state of transit, issues currently facing the system and what we can do to improve service for its riders. It’s imperative that we deliver a public transit system that provides reliable service for its riders and is accountable to our taxpayers. Now is the time to break through the status quo and embrace solutions made for lasting change. This legislation addresses the critical relief that our public transit systems are yearning for by providing viable, long-lasting solutions to work toward making Illinois home to a world-class public transit system. Across Illinois, residents will now have greater access to affordable, safe, reliable, coordinated and economically impactful transit to get them to where they need to go."
Illinois Sen. Chris Balkema (R-Channahon):
"Once again, Illinois Democrats are hitting hardworking families with new taxes to cover up their own failures. Whether you need medicine delivered to your door, rely on grocery delivery because you’re juggling work and kids, or order household supplies online to save time — you’ll be taxed. This is the reality for Illinois families under the new $1.50 delivery tax — a tax that hits nearly every household, just to bail out a broken transit system in Chicago. This isn’t about fixing roads or improving transit access for all Illinoisans. It’s about forcing people in communities like ours and across Illinois to pay for a transit system many don’t use. While political leaders reward mismanagement in Chicago, hardworking families across the state are left paying the bill. It’s unfair and it has to stop."
News,Region: Chicago,City: Chicago
via News | WGN TV https://wgntv.com
June 1, 2025 at 08:12AM
Illinois Delivered 