SPRINGFIELD, IL… State Representative Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville) joined State Representatives Chris Miller (R-Hindsboro), Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City), Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich), David Friess (R-Red Bud), Martin McLaughlin (R-Barrington Hills) and State Senator Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport) in a press conference to discuss the lack of budget transparency, to advocate for no tax increases, and to suggest measures for reform.
“Today we are sounding the alarm on a crisis that has been hiding in plain sight for far too long: Illinois’ broken, opaque, and deliberately dysfunctional budget process,” began Rep. Halbrook. “While other states have taken steps toward responsible, transparent fiscal management, Illinois continues to operate in the shadows—encouraging secrecy, rushing decisions, and forcing taxpayers to foot the bill without a voice in the process.”
For Fiscal Year 26 (FY26), which runs from July 1, 2025, until June 30, 2026, Governor Pritzker proposed a $55.2 billion budget, which is nearly $2 billion more than what was spent in FY25. Under Governor Pritzker’s Administration, beginning in 2019, the budget has grown by 38%.
“In 2015, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities ranked Illinois’ budget process among the worst in the nation,” Halbrook continued. “Nearly a decade later, not much has changed. We continue to see unreliable revenue estimates, a lack of meaningful oversight, and a refusal to use common-sense tools for accountability and planning. These weaknesses don’t just make the budget harder to understand—they actively conceal the state’s fiscal problems: overspending, exploding pension debt, and some of the highest tax burdens in the country.”
Halbrook also called out the Democrats’ tax-and-spend mess where they continue to spend and expect taxpayers to clean up their mess.
“These tax increases have not solved our problems,” stated Halbrook. Instead, they’ve fueled distrust in government and contributed to the exodus of families and job creators from our state. How did we get here? Through shell bills, last-minute amendments, and overnight votes on thousands of pages of budget language—often before lawmakers or the public have had a chance to read them.”
The Illinois General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn on May 31st, yet House Republicans have not yet seen details on a budget.
“This is not responsible governance. It’s dysfunction. This is what tyrannical one-party rule looks like,” reiterated Halbrook.
In his final comments, Halbrook spoke specifically to Governor Pritzker.
“We are not human ATMs with unlimited amounts of cash,” concluded Halbrook.
For more information, contact Rep. Halbrook at (217) 342-0220 or by visiting RepHalbrook.com.
###