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.