It’s crunch time in Springfield, with the deadline to pass the state budget for next fiscal year less than two weeks away. Lawmakers are working to hammer out a balanced spending plan amid federal funding uncertainties and mounting pressure from agencies asking for more money.

The Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults program, or HBIA, was launched in 2021. It covers qualifying individuals aged 42-64.

The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability’s upward revision to its revenue forecast remains significantly more conservative than what Gov. JB Pritzker’s office projected when he proposed a budget in February.

Illinois lawmakers are finalizing the state’s budget for the next fiscal year. But it’s not happening without some challenges.

A review by Illinois Answers Project of publicly available payroll data for 259 ward and committee staffers found that 65 council staffers received increases in their salaries between October and December 2024, representing more than $260,000 in taxpayer funds for bonuses. At least 20 staffers saw temporary bumps of at least $5,000 in one-time payouts.

Mayor Brandon Johnson — who campaigned on promises to transform CPS into a school district that offers a well-rounded education to every Chicago child and security to its employees — is caught in another bruising political battle that has, once again, frustrated his allies and emboldened his critics.

Budget Director Annette Guzman told WTTW News the dashboard was designed to answer questions she and her team fielded during the fraught negotiations over the city’s 2025 budget.

Chicago officials would have an additional $87 million to spend on a host of programs designed to repair the city’s tattered social safety net, but the Chicago City Council used those funds to balance the 2025 budget and avert a property tax hike.

Pritzker’s budget team provided a rosier projection of an extra $1.5 billion in revenue growth, meaning he has to cover a $1.7 billion budget gap to balance the budget, rather than the $3.2 billion deficit previously estimated.

The $880 billion Medicaid program is financed mostly by federal taxpayers, who pick up as much as 80% of the tab in some states. And states, too, have said they’re having trouble financing years of growth and sicker patients who enrolled in Medicaid.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker will present his seventh budget proposal Wednesday as the state faces a projected $3.2 billion revenue shortfall for fiscal year 2026, which begins July 1.

“By applying the sales tax only to goods and a small number of services, Illinois is missing the ability to tax much of the spending within its borders,” the nonpartisan Civic Federation said in its latest report.

As a new General Assembly begins, it remains unclear how lawmakers and the governor plan to plug the projected deficit. Republicans’ main concern is Democrats will resort to tax increases to boost revenue and avoid spending cuts.

Mayor Brandon Johnson slammed S&P’s decision to downgrade the city’s credit rating, saying it was based on inaccurate information.

The city’s spending plan relies on tax and fees hikes of $165.5 million, including a 2% increase in the tax levied on software licenses, cloud services and other digital goods as well as a 1.25% increase on subscriptions to streaming and cable television services.

Chicago’s $17.1 billion spending plan is now in place for 2025 — but it didn’t come easily. Forceful pushback from alderpeople blocked property tax hikes — but the budget still includes $165.5 million in additional taxes and fees to generate revenue.