SPRINGFIELD – State Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) says Gov. JB Pritzker needs to refocus his spending priorities from the national spotlight back to Illinois and pass a spending plan that will not be balanced on the back of hard-working families.

In his annual Budget Address to a joint session of legislators Feb. 19 in the House of Representatives chambers, the Governor announced a $55.4 billion spending plan – the state’s largest budget ever, representing a 37 percent increase since the current Administration took office in 2019.

“Gov. Pritzker has made it abundantly clear that Illinoisans are not his priority,” Tracy said. “By any financial measurement, such out-of-control spending is not sustainable. Such record-high spending puts Illinois’ fiscal future in jeopardy. And enough of the fuzzy math! Last week, Illinois had a $3.2 billion budget hole. Now, as if by magic, the Governor says they’ve ‘found’ $2 billion.”

Sen. Tracy says all lawmakers need to stand together and send the Governor a clear message: Taxpayers deserve the truth, real transparency, not political games.

“Illinois families deserve better than political ambition over practical solutions. The Governor recently backtracked on taxes,” Tracy said. “After promising that tax hikes wouldn’t be on the table, he’s now saying “taxes should not be the first, but rather the last resort.” My legislative colleagues and I think it is time to put the people first.”

As the legislative budget process gets under way, Sen. Tracy says she stands ready to work with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to make the tough decisions necessary to pass a balanced budget with structural reforms that will boost the economy and jobs.

Fiscal Year 2026 runs from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026.