From State Rep. Don DeWitte:
Senate lawmakers return to the Capitol on Tuesday, April 28, to begin the final stretch of the spring legislative session. The Senate is scheduled to be in session for this last week of April, and both chambers are then set to work through the final four weeks of the regular spring session before the scheduled May 31 adjournment. Before the General Assembly adjourns, lawmakers must take up bills that have advanced from the opposite chamber. As in previous years, the biggest task ahead will be passing the state’s next budget. Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proposed FY 26-27 budget totals about $56 billion, but his plan depends on more than $700 million in new revenues that have not yet been approved by lawmakers. The final weeks of session will likely feature more than just budget negotiations, with lawmakers also taking up a series of contentious proposals, including a constitutional amendment on redistricting and a megaprojects bill directed toward keeping the Bears football franchise in Illinois. As a budgeteer for the Senate Republican Caucus, during budget negotiations, I will stand firm with my Senate Republican colleagues in calling for transparency and fiscal responsibility. Illinois families cannot afford another budget built on new taxes, short-term fixes, and higher costs. |
