Gov. JB Pritzker signed the eighth budget of his tenure on Tuesday as he and Illinois Democrats gear up for an election-year battle centered around affordability.

Local and state Republican leaders criticized the plan for potential harm to Lincoln and Logan County after the area has seen economic hardship in recent years.

State Republican leaders criticized the General Assembly session schedule and new taxes in this year’s budget. But they saw progress in their overall inclusion in budget talks, and also advanced several pieces of bipartisan legislation.

It was well past 4 a.m. Monday when the Illinois House of Representatives adjourned for the summer. The budget had been balanced, and a flurry of bills were sent to the governor’s desk. But a busy finish to the spring session left some of the biggest decisions until the very end.

The budget totals $55.9 billion, supported by a similar amount of revenue. The spending plan included an $830 million supplemental current-year spending plan, meaning the upcoming fiscal year 2027 budget is essentially flat.

Rising unemployment could limit growth in personal income taxes while rising prices are making consumers more cautious, which could lead to lower sales tax collections.

With the spring legislative session coming to a close at the end of May, the clock is ticking to approve a budget. Meanwhile, affordability is front of mind for many, as bills on megaprojects and zoning reform make their way through the General Assembly.

Gov. JB Pritzker delivered his annual budget address Wednesday, proposing a $56 billion spending plan as the state faces a $2.2 billion budget gap and near-weekly threats of losing federal funding.

Facing a projected $2.2 billion gap and massive uncertainty over federal funding flowing into Illinois, Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday proposed a $56 billion state budget plan for fiscal year 2027 beginning July 1.

Progressive lawmakers want the governor to raise taxes on corporations and billionaires, while Republicans are hoping to keep spending flat in fiscal year 2027.

Gov. JB Pritzker had directed agencies to “identify immediate spending reductions, including efficiencies that will result in reduced spending” in a September executive order.

Illinois lawmakers are back in Springfield for the spring legislative session. They’re facing some tough realities: a budget gap in the billions, growing pressure to deliver affordability relief, and a widening financial rift with Washington, D.C.

The General Assembly has through May 31 to pass a budget with a simple majority vote before the threshold increases to a three-fifths vote on June 1.

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.

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

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.