Following the signing of the Fiscal Year 2026 Illinois budget by Gov. Pritzker, a $55.2 billion budget that increases state spending by $2 billion more than last year and includes $1 billion in tax hikes, Deputy House Minority Leader Ryan Spain (R-Peoria) released the following statement:
“The FY 26 state budget package was passed in the middle of the night after Democrats once again conspired behind closed doors. Their process was so opaque, the Democrats presenting the budget bills couldn’t even answer more than a dozen questions. How are the people of Illinois expected to trust that the government is spending their tax dollars wisely when the process is so lacking in transparency that even the sponsors don’t know critical information?
“Our state has been in an uncertain financial position for decades, thanks to years and years of financial malfeasance at the hands of the Democratic majority, who have maintained their artificial majority to operate in the dark thanks to some of the worst gerrymandering in the entire country. So, it doesn’t surprise me that Democrats again violated their own House Rules to ram through the largest spending plan in state history. A plan that robs the road fund and other funds to pay for standard operating expenses, includes billions in pork spending for Democrats, gives legislators a 5% pay rise, diverts funds meant for property tax relief and slaps the people of the state of Illinois with $1 billion in tax hikes.
“This budget doubles down on years of failed economic strategy that has caused our state to fall behind all our neighbors and, worse, sets the table for more tax hikes down the road. The people of the state of Illinois deserve better from their government.”