Governor Pritzker Pushes Another Record-Breaking Budget
Governor J.B. Pritzker’s budget address last week drew sharp criticism from Senate Republicans, who said Illinois families were hoping to hear real solutions on rising costs, property taxes, and economic stagnation. Instead, they argued the speech sounded more like a campaign message and offered another record-setting spending plan with no real relief for the families and businesses of Illinois.
Under the Governor’s proposal, government spending would exceed $56 billion with only a $23 million cushion in expected revenue. Senate Republicans warned that the plan is propped up by more than $700 million in new taxes and gimmicks. They also noted that since 2019, Gov. Pritzker has increased government spending by nearly 40 percent, a pace that far outstrips the growth most Illinois residents have seen in their paychecks.
Republicans said Illinois continues to lag the nation economically while ranking near the top in out-migration, with families and businesses leaving for lower taxes and better opportunities. They also criticized the budget for reducing local government distributions and shortchanging schools, saying it underfunds $45 million meant to reduce property taxes and continues to shortchange numerous school programs, including transportation. For services to the state’s most vulnerable, the developmentally disabled community, Pritzker’s budget proposal fails to get funding back to the same relative level it was when he was sworn in to office.
They added that calls for higher taxes come as audits and oversight reports have flagged repeated failures in state operations, including findings of more than $5 billion in improper or potentially fraudulent unemployment insurance payments and other eligibility and payment verification problems in state-administered benefit programs. Senate Republicans said that before Illinoisans are asked to pay more, the state should prove it can manage the money it already collects.
Senate Republicans said Illinois needs fiscal discipline, accountability, and relief, not another record-breaking budget built on temporary revenue schemes that shift costs onto local communities and working families.
Witness Slips Allow You to Provide Meaningful Input on Bills
As the General Assembly moves deeper into the spring session and more legislation begins advancing, many bills will be scheduled for committee hearings. This is often the first major stop in the legislative process, and it is also when the public has the opportunity to weigh in through the Illinois General Assembly’s witness slip system.
Witness slips can be filed on the Illinois General Assembly website at www.ilga.gov. To find the form, go to the Senate Schedules or House Schedules page, then look under Hearing Schedules. Select the Today, Week, or Month tab, choose the hearing you are interested in, click Details, and then select Create Witness Slip. Complete the required fields and submit.
Witness slips allow members of the public to register support, opposition, or “no position,” and they can also indicate whether they want to speak at the hearing or simply have their view recorded. The portal only opens once a bill is posted for a committee hearing and closes immediately after the hearing ends, so constituents are encouraged to submit slips as soon as a hearing is scheduled.
Submitting a witness slip is one of the easiest ways Illinoisans can make their voices heard in Springfield. Constituents are also encouraged to call or email the office to share their views on pending legislation.
Senate Republicans Introduce Plan to Protect Senior Property Tax Relief from Inflation
In an effort to protect seniors from rising costs,Illinois Senate Republicans have introduced legislation to ensure Illinois’ low-income senior citizens assessment freeze keeps pace with inflation.
Senate Bill 4029, filed by Senator Sue Rezin, would automatically adjust the income eligibility cap for the Low-Income Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption based on inflation beginning in tax year 2029. By tying the income threshold to the Consumer Price Index, this measure prevents seniors from losing eligibility due to cost-of-living increases.
During the fall veto session, State Senator Sally Turner supported legislation that increased the income caps for the senior assessment freeze. Under current law, the income cap for the senior assessment freeze is set at $75,000 for tax year 2026, $77,000 for 2027, and $79,000 beginning in 2028. Senate Bill 4029 would ensure that starting in 2029, the income threshold automatically adjusts each year based on inflation, preventing seniors from losing eligibility as everyday costs continue to rise.
Senate Bill 4029 is currently awaiting assignment to a Senate committee.
Proposal Supports Small Employers with Tax Credit for Health Reimbursement Arrangements
A new Senate Republican proposal would help small businesses make employee health coverage more affordable by creating a new tax credit for employers that offer Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs).
Senate Bill 3619, filed by Senator Chris Balkema, is an initiative of the Small Business Advocacy Council. The legislation would establish a tax credit for small businesses that choose to provide HRAs. An HRA is a tool that can help employers reimburse employees for qualified health care expenses and, in some cases, individual health insurance premiums. Supporters say the measure would give small employers another flexible, cost-effective option to offer benefits and stay competitive when trying to attract and retain workers.
While HRAs may not be the right fit for every business, Senate Republicans say expanding access to benefit options is critical for job creators facing rising costs. SB 3619 is designed to ease the financial burden of providing health benefits and ensure small businesses have more tools to compete, grow, and support their employees.
Senate Bill 3619 was assigned to the Senate Revenue Committee on Tuesday.
Illinois bill would give cash to families who lose SNAP over work requirements
Despite continued criticism of fraud and abuse within Illinois’ SNAP program, Democratic lawmakers have introduced legislation to create a new, state-funded cash benefit for households that lose or see reductions in federal SNAP benefits under updated work requirement rules.
Senate Bill 3277 would require the Illinois Department of Human Services to establish the Families Receiving Emergency Support for Hunger (FRESH) program. Under the proposal, households whose SNAP benefits are terminated or reduced due to failure to meet work requirements would receive a cash payment. This will be calculated as three times the amount of the lost or reduced SNAP benefit and loaded onto an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card.
The proposal comes as updated federal SNAP work requirement rules took effect February 1, 2026, expanding the definition of Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD). Under the new rules, ABAWDs who are not meeting work requirements and do not qualify for an exemption may receive SNAP for only three months within a three-year period, with some recipients potentially beginning to lose eligibility as early as May 1, 2026.
Senate Republicans argue SNAP eligibility standards exist to prioritize help for those who truly need it and to prevent abuse of a taxpayer-funded program. However, this legislation completely ignores those standards and allows people to take advantage of the system at a time when Illinois is already struggling with program fraud and accuracy. Since 2017, Illinois’ error rate has nearly doubled, reaching 11.56 percent in 2024.
State Senator Sally Turner argues that before Illinois creates a new taxpayer-funded workaround, the state should focus on fixing the underlying problems with SNAP by improving verification, strengthening oversight, and reducing error rates, rather than layering new state payments into the same EBT delivery system.
Senate Bill 3277 has been assigned to the Appropriations Committee in the Senate and awaits further action.