In the early hours of the morning the day after our scheduled adjournment, the Illinois General Assembly approved the largest budget in state history, and despite the Chicago spin machine’s attempts to sell this budget as a win, Illinois taxpayers lost again.
At nearly $56 billion, this budget does little in the way of making life more affordable for families in the Metro East. There is no relief on energy bills, and the touted “gas tax relief” won’t even pay for your lunch.
The measure of a budget reflects the priorities of state government, and it’s clear the priorities of the House Democrats is to spend more, tax more, and leave Illinois families with less in their pocket.
This budget hits Illinois residents with $800 million in new tax hikes. Some of these taxes, like the tax on the prediction markets or the tax on digital assets, will eventually be passed onto consumers. Other tax schemes, like the new social media tax and a digital ad tax, are likely to be litigated heavily before Illinois sees revenues. Democrats agree, which is why they aren’t counting those revenues for FY27, but are laying the groundwork for higher taxes in years to come.
All session we heard from Democrats on how they were fighting for affordability. Well, as families continue to face record tax hikes from the majority party, rising utility costs, and high prices at the grocery store, adding $800 million in new taxes does the opposite. It’s the same tired tale of Democrats saying one thing and doing another.
I voted against this budget because you will not see any tangible benefits to this massive spending operation. To the family struggling to make ends meet, the young couple trying to buy a home, the small business owner struggling with higher costs and thin profit margins, this budget offers essentially no relief. Illinois does not need a bigger government; it needs a government that draws the line on spending, so we can pay our bills and plan for our future.
While you are being asked to do more with less, the state of Illinois is going to do less with more. So as some politicians celebrate a larger government, remember that it’s us – the taxpayers – that are left to foot the bill.
Amy Elik
Amy Elik serves as the State Representative for the 111th Legislative District in Illinois. Elik, a CPA, serves as Assistant House Republican Leader and as House Republicans’ Deputy Budgeteer.