Governor JB Pritzker has signed the new $46 billion state budget, which Pritzker says provides $1.8 billion in temporary tax relief for Illinois families while still leaving a surplus of more than $400 million.
Pritzker says it’s the second straight year that Illinois has produced a budget surplus, and says the state is now in its strongest fiscal position in decades. The budget also steers extra money toward the state’s unfunded pension liability and shores up its rainy day fund.
Critics say it still spends too much… and complain that the tax relief isn’t permanent, making it little more than an election year gimmick.
