Illinois Budget

Uncertainty in federal funding under President Donald Trump’s administration has made a tough state budget season even more difficult for Gov. JB Pritzker and Illinois Democrats who control Springfield.

An effort is underway in the Illinois legislature to protect water supplies from a new climate technology that still faces many questions about its safety.

If the projections hold true, Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker could face difficult financial decisions, from increasing taxes to cutting spending.

With fiscal year 2025 slated to begin Monday, Gov. JB Pritzker continues to tout available state tax incentives and promote Illinois as a site for business development.

Illinois Senate Republicans are accusing the Pritzker administration of not being transparent about how much the state is spending on services for migrants. The governor's proposed budget calls for $182 million to support the influx of asylum seekers.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker has traveled the state this week to tout the budget’s funding of his Smart Start initiative, a focal point of his 2024 budget aimed at improving access to preschool, increasing funding for child care providers and investing in early childhood facilities.

State Sen. Tom Bennett voted against the recently-approved $50.6 billion budget, but pointed to some areas he sees as positive.

Democratic state Sen. Dave Koehler says he was pleased to see more higher education funding in this year's budget.

It took more than a week longer than expected, but Illinois lawmakers wrapped up their spring legislative session early Saturday with a budget and hundreds of measures that passed. The spending plan and bills now go to Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

A day after Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Democratic lawmakers announced a budget agreement, a revised version of the state spending plan moved a bit further along, passing the Illinois Senate late Thursday.