SPRINGFIELD – Governor Pritzker is proposing what he calls his eighth balanced budget proposal. Pritzker says the 56-billion-dollar fiscal year 2027 spending plan aims to prioritize affordability without raising taxes on working people.
“Everything is just too damn expensive,” he said Wednesday. “Now more than ever, we must work together to make life more affordable for Illinois’ working families.”
State Representative Jeff Keicher (R-Sycamore), the Illinois House Republican Conference Chairman, was critical of the speech.
“ All of my constituents that I talk about are more worried about affordability issues in Illinois, and unfortunately, what I heard from the governor today was his plan to continue to increase taxes and fees to pay for programs that should be cut in favor of supporting our most vulnerable,” he said.
As part of the budget, the governor will launch an initiative to lower housing costs. The budget proposes a two-year pause on the authorization of new data center tax credits. It also includes investments in early childhood education and childcare, K through 12 education, higher education and public safety and violence prevention.
