Illinois
As Pritzker signs Illinois budget, here’s what’s in and what was left out
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a series of budget bills on Monday, allowing tax changes and several other policies to take effect on July 1.
The six bills were signed during a press availability on Monday, with the governor touting his administration’s seventh consecutive balanced budget.
Here’s a breakdown of what will take effect and what will change as part of the new budget.
What Pritzker signed on Monday
Rather than being contained in one omnibus bill, Pritzker signed six different pieces of legislation to put the Fiscal Year 2026 budget into effect.
The budget itself was contained in SB 2510, while its implementation was codified in HB 1075. New bonds were authorized in HB 3374, while revenue estimates and collection policies were included in HB 2755.
Two additional spending bills, SB 2437 and HB 2771, were also signed by the governor.
Spending notes on the budget
Pritzker used reduced appropriations in one of the budget bills as a corrective measure, saying that the amounts had been duplicated. That move reduced the amount of spending in the final budget agreement by just over $161 million.
The series of bills also called for a deposit of $161 million in the state’s “rainy day” fund, which Pritzker says will contain nearly $2.5 billion by the end of the next fiscal year.
The budget bill includes another increase in funding for the state’s Department of Children and Family Services, raising its budget to $2.5 billion, according to the governor’s office.
Another $748 million was earmarked for funding for early childhood programs in the state, along with $200 million for childcare providers in the state.
In all, the state forecasted approximately $55.3 billion in revenues and expenditures of $55.08 billion, with a forecasted surplus of $217 million.
Illinois lawmakers met their May 31 deadline by approving a record $55 billion budget. Political reporter Mary Ann Ahern has more on what you’ll pay for.
New tax rates included in the budget deal:
Several new tax rates were set for a variety of items as Illinois aims to increase revenue to go along with increases in appropriations in the new budget bill.
-Beginning July 1, Illinois officials will aim to raise approximately $36 million in revenues by placing a per-wager tax on sports betting in the state.
The state will impose a $0.25-per-wager rate for the first 20 million wagers placed with licensed sports books in the state, and the tax rate will increase to $0.50 per wager after that.
In response, major sportsbooks like DraftKings and FanDuel have implemented surcharges on bets placed within the state of Illinois, according to iGamingBusiness.
-Individuals who use services like AirBNB and Vrbo for vacation rentals will now have to pay the state’s Hotel Operators’ Occupation Tax.
According to the Illinois Department of Revenue, the state taxes hotel rooms at a rate of 6% of 94% of gross receipts. In the city of Chicago, the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, which helps to operate Rate Field, and the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, which operates McCormick Place, also collect taxes on hotels. The city itself also assesses a 1% tax on hotel rooms.
-Tobacco products will now be taxed at a rate of 45% of their wholesale price, increasing from 36%, according to officials.
Chicago public transit agencies are getting closer to the fiscal cliff, and there doesn’t appear to be an off ramp in sight.
Items left out:
-The Chicago Bears’ quest for funding for a new stadium was once again left out of budget talks despite the team wanting to get shovels into the ground in suburban Arlington Heights in the near future.
The team has said it will kick in construction costs for the stadium, aided by a grant from the NFL, but has requested state funding for new debt and upgrades to infrastructure around the new stadium, focusing on building up roads and upgrading a nearby Metra station to help get fans in and out of the suburban community, according to Forbes.
-A bill aiming to address a looming fiscal cliff for public transit agencies in the Chicago area passed one chamber of the General Assembly, but it ended up failing to pass the House, meaning that lawmakers would have to address it in a veto session later this year.
The bill would have raised funding for transit agencies via a series of tax changes, but would have also consolidated the leadership of CTA, Metra and Pace, a starting point in negotiations for many lawmakers in Springfield.
Now, if the bill is going to pass, it will require a three-fifths vote rather than a simple majority, and some officials have warned that layoff notices and service cuts could be looming soon as agencies finalize their budgets for Fiscal Year 2026.
Article Summary
- In an annual May ceremony, friends, family and supporters of law enforcement honored two Illinois police officers who died in the line of duty in 2025.
- The event included a squad car processional and interfaith church service, ending in a ceremony at the Illinois Police Officers Memorial outside the state capitol.
- Seven historic honorees and one K-9 historic honoree were also included.
This summary was written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story.
In a ceremony at the state Capitol, family, friends and supporters honored the lives of two law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in 2025.
The ceremony honored Officer Krystal Rivera of the Chicago Police Department and Detective Tim Jones of the Park Forest Police Department. Held annually on the first Thursday in May, the event is a tradition to honor law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty the previous calendar year.
“Today, as we remember your brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, coworkers and friends who lost their lives in the line of duty, let us not remember them as indestructible superheroes that we may envision as children,” state Attorney General Kwame Raoul said. “Let’s remember them as human beings, in all their vulnerabilities and susceptibilities, who chose to take on the risk of the ultimate sacrifice to make others’ lives safer.”
This year’s memorial also included seven historic honorees who died from 1852 to 1936 and one K-9 honoree, Bear, who died in 1987.
“These officers represent the very best of what it means to be a public servant,” said Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias. “They came from different communities, different departments and different backgrounds, but they were united by a common goal: to protect people they may never meet, to run toward danger while others run away and to always put service above themselves.”
In an emotional address, Giannoulias also spoke of “fellow Greek American” CPD Officer John Bartholomew, who was shot and killed while on duty in April. Bartholomew’s visitation and funeral services are set to take place this weekend.
State Treasurer Michael Frerichs also gave a short speech, speaking on his family history with law enforcement and loss: “I’m invited here today because it’s my title. I come here today because of family.”
Frerichs encouraged families of fallen officers to apply to the Fallen Heroes Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarships to children who lost a parent in the line of duty.
The event included a squad car procession at the state fairgrounds and an interfaith church service at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception, ending in the ceremony at the Illinois Police Officers Memorial on the grounds of the state Capitol.
The mayor of Springfield, Misty Buscher, and the families of two 2025 honorees — Illinois State Police trooper Corey Thompsen and Chicago Police officer James Crowley — also spoke. Gov. JB Pritzker, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and Comptroller Susana Mendoza were unable to attend.
Crowley’s sister Beth Carter gave a critical address, calling for reforms to the beneficiary system that she said left her with legal issues when her brother, a former police officer who was permanently injured while on duty, and her mother died within a month of each other.
Thompsen’s parents and brother also called for legislative reform. Thompsen was hit and killed by a driver who was later issued two tickets for an expired license and failure to yield. His family asked lawmakers to enact stricter consequences for crashes resulting in death and to communicate with other states about such events.
“If someone causes a crash that kills another person, there needs to be more of a consequence than two paid tickets for $500 each. We feel that the state of Illinois should notify the other state where the original license was issued, reporting that a fatality is caused by this person with an expired driver’s license,” Thompsen’s brother Ryan said. “As the state’s attorney told us, you won’t find any satisfaction here in the courthouse. How true that was.”
The Illinois Police Officers Memorial Committee, formed in 1987, organizes and maintains the monument located on the grounds of the Capitol. The memorial is self-funded and underwent a renovation and re-dedication in 2021.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
DELAVAN, Wis. — A Delavan police officer has resigned immediately following his arrest on stalking charges in Illinois.
Joshua Bittner faces charges stemming from contacting a woman against the orders of the Winnebago County, Illinois, Sheriff’s Office. The woman detailed a long pattern of harassment in court documents obtained by TMJ4.
Before being hired by the Delavan Police Department in 2023, Bittner was an officer in Beloit. He resigned from that position while the police department investigated his behavior.
Bittner’s resignation takes effect immediately.
Watch: Delavan police officer resigns after arrest on stalking charges in Illinois
Delavan police officer resigns following arrest
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