By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has proposed a budget for fiscal year 2027 that is smaller than the state’s 2026 spending plan.

The governor delivered his State of the State budget address before the General Assembly at the Illinois Capitol on Wednesday.

Pritzker opened by saying he would introduce another balanced budget proposal. The spending plan with $54.8 billion in general funds appropriations is down from the state’s $55.2 billion for the current year.

The governor then launched into criticism of President Donald Trump and said Illinois is fighting more than 50 cases in court where Pritzker said the federal government is “illegally confiscating money” that was promised and appropriated by Congress to the people of Illinois.

Pritzker said the state is spending enormous time and taxpayer money going to court.

“It is impossible to tally the hours, days, and weeks our state government has spent chasing news of presidential executive orders, letters, and edicts that read like proclamations from the Lollipop Guild,” the governor said.

Pritzker said anyone on either side of the aisle who wanted to talk about the budget for fiscal year 2027 must first demand the return of the money and resources Pritzker said the president has taken from the people of Illinois.

The governor said Illinois’ economy is on a path toward accelerating growth.

“This year, our state’s GDP surpassed $1.2 trillion dollars, up from $881 billion when I took office. We are among the top 20 economies in the world and a top five state for electricity production,” Pritzker said.

The governor announced the Building Up Illinois Developments or BUILD Plan, a new initiative he said would lower housing costs by making it easier, faster and more cost-effective to build homes.

On energy policy, the governor called for a two-year pause on new data center tax credits.

Pritzker urged the Illinois House to pass HB 3799, a measure that would allow the state department of insurance to object to material premium increases from homeowners insurance companies.

On education and taxation, the governor proposed a social media platform fee he said would generate $200 million per year to support K-12 education.

“Parents and kids deserve to have better funded schools. If social media giants are going to feed off of Illinois families, they ought to support Illinois families,” Pritzker said.

Before closing, the governor returned to criticizing the Trump administration. Pritzker compared federal immigration law enforcement in Illinois to President Grover Cleveland’s 1894 order sending federal troops to end the Pullman strike in Blue Island.

At a press conference on Tuesday, state Rep. Amy Elik, R-Alton, said Pritzker blames everyone but himself and Democratic state lawmakers for Illinois’ budget woes.

“The blame is squarely on him and Illinois Democrats. The path forward is to grow our way to prosperity, but the Democrats’ solution has always been more taxes and more spending,” Elik said.