SPRINGFIELD – State Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) says Gov. JB Pritzker’s $55.2 billion spending plan – the state’s largest budget ever – represents a nearly 40 percent increase since the current Administration took office in 2019, and also requires an extra $1 billion in taxes.
The FY26 revenue estimate for this plan, which totals $55.4 billion with $55.2 billion in spending, ignores the tough decisions needed to help hard-working Illinoisans and their families.
“Gov. Pritzker has made it abundantly clear that Illinoisans are not his priority. By any financial measurement, such out-of-control spending is not sustainable, and puts Illinois’ fiscal future in jeopardy,” Sen. Tracy said. “It’s more spending, more taxes, and fewer opportunities for the people who are already being squeezed the hardest. The Governor needs to shift his focus to our working families who deserve a budget that reflects their values and needs.”
Sen. Tracy says one of the most egregious taxes – a delivery tax – would have affected all Illinoisans, but the revenue it generated would have been used to bail out Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and the economically troubled Chicago Transit Authority.
“It was a broad-based, statewide tax hike on nearly everything you order online. Starting January 1, 2026, you would have paid a $1.50 delivery tax on most deliveries to your home – whether it’s an Amazon order, your kid’s school clothes, or dinner on a busy weeknight,” Sen. Tracy said. “If you couldn’t get to the store after work, or live in a rural town where shopping options are limited, you would have been paying more.”
The transit legislation that contained the $1.50 delivery tax – House Bill 3438 – was passed by the Senate, but has stalled because it was not called for a vote in the House of Representatives.
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.
