Lake County Gazette

Following the passage of the Fiscal Year 2026 State Budget in the Illinois House of Representatives, State Representative Tom Weber (R-Lake Villa) released a statement addressing his concerns.

“This is yet another gut punch for Illinois taxpayers. Democrats have passed a $55.2 billion state budget, nearly $2 billion more than last year, marking one of the largest spending plans in state history. This budget contains a billion dollars in new taxes on working families and job creators, and millions more in pork projects aimed at helping Democrats win their next election,” said Rep. Weber.

Weber expressed concern over potential future tax hikes to cover what he sees as excessive spending: “The tax hikes we’re seeing now are just the beginning. To recoup for Democrats out-of-control spending, like the more than $3 billion already spent on benefits for illegals in past budgets, which they continue to fund in this budget, will almost certainly cause them to be back next year demanding even more from hard-working Illinois families and businesses. ”

He criticized the process behind the budget's formulation: “Illinoisans deserve a budget that puts them first, not budgets negotiated behind closed doors and spending on special interests to help Democrats get reelected. To make things worse, this budget gives unprecedented spending authority to Governor Pritzker, bypassing transparency and public input. ”

Rep. Weber highlighted key issues he felt were overlooked by the new budget: “This is a partisan and politically influenced budget. The most pressing issues for hard-working families are property taxes, the cost of groceries, and gas to get to work. None of these issues were addressed, and to add salt to the wound, Illinois’ gas tax will once again increase on June 1st. ”

Weber concluded his statement by emphasizing Republican willingness to collaborate on fiscal matters: “This is why I voted no. House Republicans offered to work with the majority party to deliver a balanced budget, cut spending, and stop unnecessary tax hikes. Illinois deserves better.”