With Governor JB Pritzker set to deliver his annual budget address later this week, I am calling on the administration to finally put affordability front and center for Illinois families.
Right now, working families are stretched thin. Groceries cost more. Energy bills are higher. Property taxes keep climbing. The last thing Illinoisans need is another budget that grows government while making life more expensive for the people footing the bill.
Last year, Democrats passed the largest spending plan in state history. That budget piled on nearly $1 billion in new taxes and leaned heavily on one-time revenues and budget maneuvers instead of long-term fiscal discipline.
Since Governor Pritzker took office, state spending has exploded by nearly $15 billion, pushing the total budget past $55 billion. That is close to a 40 percent increase in just a few years. I opposed that plan because it prioritized bigger government over real relief for taxpayers and small businesses.
I am also deeply concerned by renewed talk from Democrats about bringing back a progressive income tax scheme that Illinois voters already rejected at the ballot box in 2020.
As the governor prepares his next proposal, my message is simple: Illinois families need relief, not more government growth. The administration should rein in spending, focus on affordability, and commit to a responsible budget that does not include new or higher taxes.
Governor Pritzker is scheduled to deliver his annual address to the General Assembly on Wednesday, February 18.
