Illinois Freedom Caucus: “Cut the Waste & Bloat”

Written by David E. Smith

Illinois lawmakers are actively shaping the state’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget as the May 31st legislative deadline approaches. Governor JB Pritzker has proposed a budget of $55.45 billion – an increase of $2.35 billion over last year, but final numbers are still under negotiation.

On May 13, 2025, Republican members of the Illinois House of Representatives held a press conference, urging substantial budget reductions. They claimed over $1 billion in wasteful spending, fraud, and abuse could be eliminated to save citizens from new or increased tax proposals.

State Representative Jed Davis (R-Yorkville) said he will present an alternative budget bill that would be $11 billion less than Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proposed budget.

State Representative Blaine Wilhour (R-Louisville) lamented the situation, saying Springfield needs legislators who are willing to do the hard work to produce a sensible budget that is family friendly, saying:

It’s going to take tough people to come up here and right size this stuff.

There seems to be plenty of waste to cut.

BACKGROUND

Since Pritzker took office in 2019, spending has significantly increased. The proposed budget outlines $55.45 billion in expenditures representing a total growth of approximately $16.7 billion in spending since 2019, when the budget stood at $38.5 billion.

Yet the state’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (COGFA) projects a revenue estimate (tax collections) of $54.2 billion for FY 2026, which is $1.25 billion lower than the governor’s projection. This discrepancy raises concerns about the administration’s intentions to raise taxes on citizens once again.

RECENT BUDGET HISTORY

The FY 2025 Illinois budget was $53.2 billion.

The FY 2024 Illinois budget was $50.6 billion.

The FY 2023 Illinois budget was $46.5 billion.

The FY 2022 Illinois budget was $42.3 billion.

To make matters worse, according to an article by Crain’s Chicago Business, the “governor’s budget office now expects about $500 million less in revenue for the coming fiscal year…” Governor Pritzker and his allies put the blame President Donald Trump, Elon Musk and the Republican Congress, instead of wasteful spending and overspending.

TAXES

Illinoisans has one of the highest tax burdens in the United States. According to an Illinois Policy Institute article, the average Illinoisan is projected to pay approximately 10.2% of their annual income in state and local taxes in 2025. According to the Tax Foundation’s 2025 State Tax Competitiveness Index, Illinois ranks 37th overall.

Compared to neighboring states, Illinois’ tax rates are significantly higher. Indiana has lowered its flat income tax to 3%, and Iowa has adopted a 3.8% flat tax rate. Illinois’ tax burden also exceeds that of Wisconsin and Missouri in key areas, including sales tax, property tax, and gasoline taxes, with a combined state motor fuel tax of 66.9¢ per gallon. These disparities highlight the need for tax reform to enhance Illinois’ economic competitiveness.

We are grateful that the Illinois Freedom Caucus, on behalf of taxpayers, is calling for substantial budget cuts to address the state’s fiscal challenges. The reforms they have highlighted are essential to addressing a projected deficit for fiscal year 2026 and in hope of enhancing Illinois’ economic competitiveness.

It’s natural to feel frustrated by the immoral social agenda that is being pushed, along with the rising taxes and the growing burden they place on individuals and families. Many of us are disheartened by the relentless expansion of government and the sense that state politicians ignore wasteful spending. Years of experience can make it easy to believe that corruption lies at the heart of such disregard.