J.B. Pritzker’s eighth budget address met a wall of Republican resistance Wednesday, as lawmakers blasted a plan they say uses political distractions and Trump-blaming to mask a fiscal crisis.

Pritzker used a significant portion of his speech to cast President Trump as a direct antagonist to Illinois’ fiscal health, alleging the administration is responsible for an $8.4 billion drain on state resources. 

He accused the federal government of “illegally confiscating” tax dollars already appropriated by Congress and highlighted more than 50 ongoing court cases the state has filed to reclaim these funds. 

He even went so far as to tell legislators that any discussion regarding the upcoming FY 2027 budget must be preceded by a demand for the return of the resources he claims the President has taken from the people of Illinois.

Rep. Amy Elik of Alton warns the state is entering a budget cycle defined by “uncertain revenue projections” that demand discipline. 

“Make no mistake about it, the governor has relied on tax increases and used smoke and mirrors to make previous budgets appear balanced. And I don’t suspect this year will be any different,” Elik said before the speech.

“House Democrats and Governor Pritzker are in denial about the true reality of our financial situation. In this year’s budget, we should be going department by department, line by line, to identify areas where we can reduce spending. Raising taxes should never be the default solution to a tough budget year, especially as Illinois is already among the highest tax states in the country…The path forward is to grow our way to prosperity, but the Democrats’ solution has always been more taxes and more spending.

“Companies, jobs and people are considering leaving Illinois, which shrinks our tax base and places the burden on those left behind. In order to bring them back, we need to create a business environment that attracts and keeps businesses in Illinois by cutting red tape and opposing policies that chase these economic drivers out of Illinois.

“House Republicans believe Illinois can be a state where families and businesses stay, but as long as the super majority Illinois Democrat legislature thinks of taxing first and real solutions last, Illinois will continue to lag behind our neighbors,” Elik said.

Senator Lee Arellano of Dixon argued the Governor’s budget proposal relies on “fantasy tax increases” and ignores the fact that the administration hasn’t once made an actuarially recommended pension payment. 

“[Gov. Pritzker] called this budget a balanced budget. It is not by statute,” Senator Lee Arellano of Dixon said after the speech. “He is not allowed to include all of the fantasy tax increases that he put in there. He is supposed to present a budget that is balanced based on a current statute. He did not do that. This is not a balanced budget. We need an honest balanced budget that isn’t gimmicks, that isn’t binding and borrowing.” Arellano said.

Rep. Charlie Meier Addieville agreed the state is in serious financial strains.

“This is the eight budget speech I’ve listened to our governor give and the eighth I cannot support. He’s raised the budget over 40% in those eight budget talks. We are in serious financial strain…We need to address issues, not keep raising taxes anywhere they could sneak another one in in this state’s past, we have to grow,” Meier said.

The concerns voiced by Illinois Republicans appear to be backed by a February 2026 report from Moody’s Analytics, which projects the state’s economy will underperform both the Midwest and the nation in the coming year.

The Moody’s report highlights a few red flags for the 2027 fiscal year:

🚩 Employment is expected to remain essentially unchanged from late 2025 through late 2026.

🚩 Projections show Illinois could lose roughly 8,000 jobs in 2026, a 0.1% decline.

🚩 The statewide unemployment rate is forecasted to climb to 5.2% by year-end, trailing regional and national averages.

🚩 llinois remains more expensive for businesses than neighboring Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and Ohio.

Pritzker closed his speech with a five-minute lecture on love, an about-face from last year’s address when he essentially labeled Republicans “Nazis” and “racists.”

He defined love as a “superpower” and a “weapon” against “cruelty and rage.”

“We are fighting over whether we are going to be a civilization rooted in empathy and kindness or one rooted in cruelty and rage,” Pritzker said.

Critics like Republican gubernatorial candidate Ted Dabrowski thought this rhetorical pivot was a “funny” attempt to claim the moral high ground of empathy while the administration continues to prioritize “anti-life” policies and illegal immigrants over its own residents.

“[Pritzker] cares more about criminals than he does about victims. Look at the Way Forward Act and the Safety-T Act. He’s made Illinois the abortion capital of the Midwest. He just signed the assisted suicide bill. That’s anti-life. He’s the extreme one. And it’s just so wrong for him to talk about love after what he’s done—hurting people and prioritizing criminals and death over families and life,” Dabrowski said.