With Saturday’s deadline looming, Illinois state budget still elusive
[May 28, 2025]
By Greg Bishop | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – Illinois legislators continue to discuss the
annual spending plan behind closed doors, but some say there could be
more work to do over the summer.
The legislature is scheduled to adjourn spring session Saturday. That’s
the deadline to pass the annual taxpayer funded spending bill with a
simple majority. In the minority party, state Rep. Adam Niemerg, R-Dieterich,
doesn’t expect to see a budget until last minute.
“It looks like a tax increase for the folks in my district, and we have
very little say so in what happens here in Springfield on that issue
will,” Niemerg told The Center Square Tuesday.
State Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago, said the work continues on crafting
what he said is a compassionate budget, but legislators should be ready
for anything, including coming back this summer to deal with how federal
spending could impact Illinois.
“We just have to be ready at all times is what we're being told by
Speaker [Emanuel “Chris”] Welch,” Ford told The Center Square after a
Democratic caucus Tuesday. “You know, make no plans, but to come back if
he needs us.”
The budget could be about $55 billion, a record high. Republicans are
raising alarm to what they said could be a more than $2 billion tax
increase if the state was to institute a tax on services.
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The Illinois State Capitol rotunda from above
Greg Bishop / The Center Square
Niemerg said his caucus, and their constituents, are being kept in
the dark about the tax and spend plan.
“We're hearing rumors about what they're doing, a sales tax
increase, a service tax increase. But the truth of the matter is, is
that we're broke in the state of Illinois,” Neimerg said. “The
Democrats have a spending problem, they have a revenue problem.”
Asked about the possibility of tax increases, Ford reiterated the
majority party is focused on a compassionate budget.
“As Democrats, you know, we want to support human services and
protect, you know, the seniors and the children and all the human
services.”
The House and Senate return to session Wednesday and are scheduled
to adjourn Saturday, May 31, the deadline to pass a budget with
simple majorities.
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