On June 16, Governor JB Pritzker officially signed into law the largest government spending plan in Illinois history – a more than $55 billion spending plan that includes nearly $1 billion in new tax increases and relies heavily on budget gimmicks and one-time revenue grabs.

Passed by the General Assembly on May 31, the FY26 budget reflects a nearly $15 billion increase, almost 40 percent, since Pritzker took office. Senate Republicans opposed the plan, pointing to record spending, misplaced priorities, a lack of transparency, and a growing financial burden on families and businesses.

The massive government spending plan relies on new and increased taxes on vacation rentals like Airbnb, gaming, phone services, nicotine products, and hundreds of millions in additional taxes on businesses that will inevitably be passed on to consumers. Democrats also leaned on nearly $400 million in one-time revenue grabs and accounting tricks to balance the books.

Republican-led efforts to provide tax relief to Illinois families were blocked. While the budget continues to fund programs like for noncitizens it underfunds services for Illinoisans with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The plan also underfunds Pre-K through 12th grade education and eliminates a key property tax relief program for families already struggling to survive.

Senate Republicans argue this is yet another bloated government spending plan that keeps growing while family incomes don’t. They say it adds to the strain on working families, drives employers out of Illinois, and offers little relief in a state already burdened with the highest tax load in the nation.