Pritzker says every state faces financial challenges under Trump, but is optimistic Illinois will have balanced budget

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Gov. JB Pritzker says he knows state lawmakers face a tough challenge to pass a balanced budget by the end of the month. Yet, Pritzker told reporters Thursday that every state is facing financial challenges due to President Donald Trump's economy.

The Governor's Office of Management and Budget recently lowered revenue projections for Fiscal Year 2026 by $536 million compared to Pritzker's budget proposal in February. Staff told lawmakers Thursday that the downward revenue projection was due to Trump's impact on the economy, and Pritzker has heard many states are struggling.

The Democrat said some states put one-time federal COVID-19 emergency funds into their operating budgets.

"We were very careful in the state of Illinois to pay off debt and put it into one-time things that we knew we didn't have to come back to," Pritzker said. "The result is that our budget challenge is actually relatively small."

Republicans said Illinois is only facing budget problems because of overspending by Democrats. Some conservative members of the House Revenue Committee said leaders need to hold the line on spending since the state can't rely on federal relief.

"You mention the term balanced budget, and as a former mayor sitting next to a mayor, that term gets thrown around quite a bit here in Springfield," said Rep. Marin McLaughlin (R-Lake Barrington). "Does the term balanced budget in your estimation mean we having lower spending or higher spending in the total spending this year?"

Still, Pritzker said Democratic budgeteers will get to a balanced budget before session ends. He said nobody likes to tighten the belt on spending, but his request of lawmakers is reasonable.

"We'd all like to have more resources, but I think the funding is there to do the things that we absolutely must do," Pritzker said.

Pritzker and legislative leaders have mentioned the House and Senate may have to come back for a special session this fall to pass a supplemental budget once Illinois knows the exact amount of federal funding cut by Congress. Many fear the state may have to fill a budget hole for healthcare and food assistance for seniors, children and veterans.