Photo Credit: Illinois Office of Tourism | Enjoy Illinois

As Illinoisans and visitors from around the country gather in Springfield for the State Fair, supermajority Democrats will take the stage and spotlight on Wednesday. And while Democrats will tout all of their ‘successes’ and rant and rave about the federal government, the smoke screen they create will attempt to hide all of their failures. But those failures continue to mount, and they are being noticed by Illinois families who are tired of bad policies, sky-high taxes, and a struggling economy offering little hope for the future.

The FY 2026 budget passed by Democrats gives Governor Pritzker unprecedented spending power, including a $100 million slush fund ‘just in case’ the federal government withholds funding from other programs. This means the Governor has the authority to declare a ‘state of emergency’ as he sees fit, with the power to sweep away $100 million from other funds at his discretion.

Budget season is here. Know the warning signs of the impending budget and prepare for possible devastation. Check back daily for the latest forecast. 

A recent Chicago Tribune op-ed penned by Rep. Regan Deering (R-Decatur) calls out the unsustainable growth of Illinois government and the lack of transparency in the state’s budget process. Here is an excerpt:

Later this week, the General Assembly is expected to pass a new state budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

In January, House Republican Leader Tony McCombie announced that the House Republican's budget team would be Deputy Leader Norine Hammond (94th District - Macomb) as Chief Budgeteer and Assistant Leader Amy Elik (111th District - Alton) as Deputy Budgeteer.

Representative Norine Hammond has in-depth experience in appropriations and public policy. She has successfully passed legislation to tackle the teacher shortage, keep Illinois students attending Illinois universities, fairly fund public K-12 education, and protect our seniors and most vulnerable citizens. Hammond has been a strong advocate for procurement reform and other cost-cutting measures which keep dollars focused on strategic goals instead of overhead and administrative costs.

“The House Republican Caucus wants to make it perfectly clear that we will not negotiate a budget that includes any tax increases,” said Hammond. “State government desperately needs structural reforms and to learn to live within its means. If history serves us correctly, the Democratic supermajority will continue to craft a budget alone, continue to increase wasteful spending, and absolutely continue to raise taxes on hardworking Illinois families and businesses.”

Representative Amy Elik has spent her thirty-year career as a Certified Public Accountant and auditor and brings a sharp eye and attention to detail to budget negotiations. Elik has been a strong voice for reining in wasteful spending.

“I’m a CPA and am used to making difficult decisions to craft a budget that is rooted in reality,” said Elik. “Fuzzy math is not fiscal responsibility. Our communities are screaming out for tax relief, it’s hard for young families to afford homes, daycare, and utilities, and the budget that comes out of the 104th General Assembly cannot include a tax increase.”

Rep. Elik was a member of the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability and serves as Spokesperson for the General Services Appropriations Committee and Elementary/Secondary Education: Education Policy Committee.

As the deadline to pass a budget approaches, Hammond and Elik have made clear that Republicans will not support any budget that includes a tax increase to pay for the Democrats’ spending spree.

State Representatives Chris Miller (R-Hindsboro), Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville), Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich), Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City), Jed Davis (R-Yorkville), and Marty McLaughlin (R-Barrington Hills) held a press conference this week highlighting the looming budget pressures, wasteful spending, and the need for Illinois DOGE implementation.

Legislators Condemn Pritzker’s Dangerous Political Rhetoric on the National Stage

Illinois House Republicans slammed proposals from progressive interest groups that would raise taxes by $6 billion on Illinois working families and businesses.

At a Capitol news conference Thursday, Deputy Republican Leader Norine Hammond (R-Macomb) and Assistant Republican Leaders C.D. Davidsmeyer (R-Murrayville) and Amy Elik (R-Alton) called the $6 billion in proposed tax hikes “outrageous and unacceptable.”

BUDGET
Pritzker proposes the largest budget in state history. Last year after the budget address, we reported Governor Pritzker had proposed the largest budget in the state’s history. This year, he has outdone himself – breaking last year’s record.

Last year after the budget address, we reported Governor Pritzker had proposed the largest budget in the state’s history. This year, he has outdone himself – breaking last year’s record.

During his speech to the Illinois General Assembly today, Governor Pritzker unveiled his priorities and spending plan, setting his total FY26 expenditures at $55.235 billion. The new proposal reflects a $1.994 billion increase in spending over last year, resulting in a 3.7% increase overall. Moreover, the Governor plans to pay for the new spending with yet-to-be-realized revenue, based in part on aggressive projections that have not been confirmed by the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (CGFA), as well as increased taxes and other gimmicks that will require the legislature’s approval.

Governor Pritzker will deliver the State of the State and budget address to the Illinois General Assembly today at noon in Springfield. Legislators from the House of Representatives and the Senate will join together in the House Chambers to listen to the Governor's speech and learn of his budget priorities. 

In Illinois, the Governor drafts a budget they would like to see implemented but it is up to the members of the General Assembly to appropriate funds based on how they think the state's money should be spent. Throughout the remainder of the legislative session, lawmakers serving on appropriation committees will be conducting public hearings where state agencies will lay out the Governor's budget requests providing lawmakers with an accounting of how funds will be spent over the next fiscal year. After accessing the information from those hearings, budget analyses, and based on their priorities, legislators will ultimately vote on the budget and budget implementation bills sometime at the end of May.

Illinois House Republicans are reacting to the Pritzker Administration’s announcement of a $3.2 billion projected budget deficit for FY26. The lawmakers have repeatedly voiced concerns about the state’s budget process, especially for the past fiscal year which relied on gimmicks and tax hikes amid the Majority Party's continued failure to manage state finances responsibly.

The Democratic supermajority broke their own House Rules during the final hours of session when they allowed lawmakers to vote three times on one piece of legislation to raise taxes. The bill passed on the third vote after failing twice before.

However, House Rules only allow for two votes. According to Rule 72, if legislation on concurrence fails to pass the second time, the bill cannot be called again for another vote. Unless, of course you are in the supermajority. By allowing a third vote, Democratic leaders were able to convince several of their own to change their votes. So, in an overnight session, the tax hike measure passed at 4:30 in the morning, on the third try.

BUDGET
Democrats pass largest budget in state history; vote for tax hikes, politician pay raises and a billion dollars for non-citizens. In the early morning hours Wednesday, Democrats in the Illinois General Assembly voted to implement a $53.1 billion spending plan, passing the largest budget in state history, without Republican support. The Fiscal Year 2025 budget is a whopping $2.6 billion more than last year’s enacted budget and includes pay raises for politicians and a staggering $1 billion for non-citizens. Moreover, Democrats voted for $1 billion in tax hikes to pay for their record-breaking spending. Over the last four years, the Democrat-controlled General Assembly has joined Governor Pritzker in a voracious appetite for increased government spending. Since the Fiscal Year 2020 budget, Democratic lawmakers have voted to grow state expenditures by more than $13 billion, from nearly $40 billion in 2020 to more than $53 billion this year and have forced hard-working Illinoisans to foot the bill. Here is what House Republican lawmakers are saying about the FY 2025 budget:

In the wee small hours of the morning, Democrats in the Illinois General Assembly voted to implement a $53.1 billion spending plan, passing the overreaching state budget without Republican support. The Fiscal Year 2025 budget is a whopping $2.6 billion more than last year’s enacted budget and includes pay raises for politicians and a staggering $1 billion for non-citizens. Moreover, Democrats voted for $1 billion in tax hikes to pay for their record-breaking spending.

Deputy Republican Leader Norine Hammond was a guest on the Season 39 premiere of “Illinois Lawmakers.” The long-running series is now being produced by Capitol News Illinois.

Representative Hammond and host Jak Tichenor discussed concerns with the pending Illinois State Budget for Fiscal Year 2025. Hammond indicated that House Republicans have not yet been included in budget negotiations. She expressed the Caucus’ opposition to Governor JB Pritzker’s proposed tax increases on Illinois businesses, as well as the Governor’s proposal to transfer $175 million from the Road Fund for Chicago-area mass transit. 

With the State of Illinois facing an estimated $775 million budget deficit and Governor JB Pritzker calling for more than $1 billion in tax hikes on Illinois families and businesses, State Representative C.D. Davidsmeyer (R-Murrayville) has filed legislation to end Illinois’ healthcare benefits program for undocumented immigrants.

Last week, Rep. Davidsmeyer introduced House Bill 5846 which would repeal the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults and Seniors (HBIA/HBIS) Programs. The State of Illinois currently provides free healthcare benefits for undocumented immigrant adults at an annual estimated cost of nearly $700 million. Over the first four fiscal years of the HBIA/HBIS programs, the State will have spent more than $2 billion in taxpayer funds on healthcare benefits for undocumented immigrants.

The Governor delivered his annual budget address today in Springfield, setting Illinois on a course to spend $2.29 billion more than last year and increase taxes by $910 million. It is largest budget proposal in state history. The Governor’s proposed budget will spend $52.7 billion, creating a $775 million shortfall.

Here’s what some of our legislative members are saying:

Deputy Republican Leader Norine Hammond (Macomb)
“Today we saw Governor Pritzker introduce the largest budget proposal in state history. The Governor’s FY25 proposed budget spends $52.7 billion, which is a $2.3 billion increase over the FY24 enacted budget – a 4.5% increase.

On Wednesday, Governor J.B. Pritzker will deliver the State of the State and Budget Address from the chambers of the Illinois House of Representatives to a joint session of the Illinois General Assembly.

In his address, the Governor will signal his spending priorities for the 2025/2026 fiscal year. However, it will ultimately be up to the members of the General Assembly to appropriate the funding for those priorities. 

BUDGET
House Republican leaders discuss budget priorities. House Minority Leader Tony McCombie and Republican Budgeteers discussed their priorities for the Fiscal Year 2025 State Budget at a press conference in Leader McCombie’s Capitol office Thursday.

As the General Assembly begins a new legislative session and looks ahead to the Governor’s budget address in two weeks, the Republican leaders wanted to set the stage for what they expect to be included in the upcoming FY25 budget proposal.

One way for lawmakers to get what they want without having to be responsible to voters is to abdicate their Constitutional authority to the governor. What a great scheme: Give the governor the power to spend taxpayers’ money without legislative oversight and legislators won’t have to take responsibility with the voters.

Under the state Constitution, the governor introduces the budget and the legislature appropriates the funds. It’s a checks-and-balance system among equal branches of government. Over the years, when there were hard budget decisions to be made, the Democratic-controlled legislature has increasingly handed over more and more of its appropriations authority to the governor. The outcome of this “wink and nod” system is reduced transparency and accountability in our state government.