State Budget

Illinois lawmakers passed a budget Monday morning that includes a full $350 million increase in Evidence-Based Funding for public schools, money earmarked specifically for the neediest school districts in the state.

Here's how state Sens. Dave Koehler and Chris Balkema and Reps. Sharon Chung and Ryan Spain voted on the budget package that passed in Springfield early Monday morning.

Illinois lawmakers approved the state budget early Monday morning after slogging through the night, enacting new taxes on businesses and authorizing less spending than what Gov. JB Pritzker proposed in February.

The Illinois Senate filed a more than 3,500-page spending plan late Saturday night but how it will be paid for has not been made public.

Illinois lawmakers are still batting around a variety of budget ideas with just a few weeks left in the legislative session.

A “millionaire tax” proposal floated in the Illinois House failed to gain enough traction in Springfield this week, making it increasingly unlikely that voters will be asked to approve the measure in November.

Democrats are entering the home stretch of budget negotiations ahead of their scheduled May 31 adjournment while monitoring better-than-expected revenue growth alongside the uncertainty that is a hallmark of governing during Donald Trump’s presidency.

One proposed constitutional amendment imposing a 3% tax on millionaires would yield $1,500 checks to property owners. Another would divvy up proceeds between schools and property tax relief. An early May deadline looms to get a plan before voters this fall.

Reaction to Gov. JB Pritzker’s combined State of the State and fiscal year 2027 budget address fell largely along partisan lines as Democrats offered muted praise while Republicans dismissed his affordability message as campaign-style rhetoric.

As Illinois awaits court decisions about federal funding cuts and braces for even further cuts amid rising costs, Gov. JB Pritzker is proposing limited new spending — and yearning for “normal problems.”