Governor J.B. Pritzker’s budget address this week drew sharp criticism from Senate Republicans, who said Illinois families were hoping to hear real solutions on rising costs, property taxes, and economic stagnation. Instead, they argued the speech sounded more like a campaign message and offered another record-setting spending plan with no real relief for the families and businesses of Illinois.

Under the Governor’s proposal, government spending would exceed $56 billion with only a $23 million cushion in expected revenue. Senate Republicans warned that the plan is propped up by more than $700 million in new taxes and gimmicks. They also noted that since 2019, Gov. Pritzker has increased government spending by nearly 40 percent, a pace that far outstrips the growth most Illinois residents have seen in their paychecks.

Republicans said Illinois continues to lag the nation economically while ranking near the top in out-migration, with families and businesses leaving for lower taxes and better opportunities. They also criticized the budget for reducing local government distributions and shortchanging schools, saying it underfunds $45 million meant to reduce property taxes and continues to shortchange numerous school programs, including transportation. For services to the state’s most vulnerable, the developmentally disabled community, Pritzker’s budget proposal fails to get funding back to the same relative level it was when he was sworn in to office.

They added that calls for higher taxes come as audits and oversight reports have flagged repeated failures in state operations, including findings of more than $5 billion in improper or potentially fraudulent unemployment insurance payments and other eligibility and payment verification problems in state-administered benefit programs. Senate Republicans said that before Illinoisans are asked to pay more, the state should prove it can manage the money it already collects.

“Illinois does not have a revenue problem,” State Senator Dave Syverson said. “It has a spending problem. We cannot ask struggling taxpayers to pay more. State government must learn to live within its means just like Illinois families do.”

Senate Republicans said Illinois needs fiscal discipline, accountability, and relief, not another record-breaking budget built on temporary revenue schemes that shift costs onto local communities and working families.