After 4 am on the final day of the spring session, Illinois Democrats passed a $56 billion Fiscal Year 2027 State Budget, which spends nearly a billion dollars more than last year.
The Democratic majority’s budget is a record-high $55.9 billion and relies on $800 million in new revenue, including new taxes on social media platforms and digital ads, while raiding $150 million of revenue from the state sales tax on gasoline.
Assistant Republican Leader C.D. Davidsmeyer (R-Murrayville) criticized the Democrats’ spending plan, calling it unaffordable and full of misplaced priorities.
“On Governor Pritzker’s watch, state spending has increased by $16 billion, a 40% spending hike,” Rep. Davidsmeyer said. “Pritzker and the Democratic majority have raised taxes and fees year after year, taking more money out of the pockets of hardworking families. Despite spouting off talking points about affordability, the reality is Illinois families cannot afford the Democrats’ ‘Tax, Spend, Repeat’ Budget.”
In a committee hearing on the budget, Rep. Davidsmeyer took aim at the Democrats’ continued funding of welfare benefits for illegal immigrants while shortchanging Illinois’ most vulnerable citizens.
“This budget spends more than $400 million on services for illegal immigrants while those caring for our developmentally disabled community continue to be shortchanged,” Rep. Davidsmeyer said. “We should cut funding for illegal immigrants to take care of our own citizens first – those who cannot take care of themselves.”
While Illinois families and seniors struggle with rising costs across the board, Democrats set aside at least $220 million for new pork projects and political earmarks. Instead of providing much needed tax relief, they chose to again fund their own pork projects through the ‘Democratic Majority Slush Fund.’
“This budget is a disaster for hardworking Illinoisans,” Davidsmeyer said. “Democrats will tell you that they’re not taxing ‘real people,’ but every tax or increased cost to business is paid for by consumers: all of us! There’s no relief from the high cost of living. Rather than suspending the state sales tax on gas – a tax on a tax – to provide some relief at the pumps, the Democrats are raiding this windfall revenue to help pay for their spending spree. Once again, they may use the word ‘affordability’, but increased taxes, fees, and spending tell the real story.”
