Just hours before the statutory deadline of midnight, May 31, Statehouse Democrats pushed through a record-high budget for Fiscal Year 2026, which includes $55.2 billion in spending. After voting against what he called “an incredibly irresponsible budget,” State Senator Craig Wilcox (R-McHenry) issued the following statement:
“It’s like Groundhog Day here at the State Capitol, as legislative Democrats have once again ignored the fiscal realities of the state and the financial strains being felt by families and pushed through yet another irresponsible and unaffordable budget.
“For some perspective, consider this: It took every Illinois governor in history 200 years to grow the state budget to around $30 billion, but in just six years, Governor Pritzker has exploded state spending to more than $55 billion— a nearly 40% increase. It’s the fastest, most dramatic spending expansion in our state’s history.”