Illinois lawmakers’ late-night budget sets a new spending record financed by more tax hikes on the final day of legislative session.

Chicago aldermen for the first time pushed through their own budget, rejecting the mayor’s effort to impose a job-killing head tax. There are other taxes.

Backroom deals produced lots of pork in the state budget, including a $40-million sports complex at the Illinois House speaker’s alma mater.

Peoria Heights’ mayor vetoed a grocery tax, saying the village would not balance its budget on the backs of families at the grocery checkout. Now Chicago is considering taking $73.5 million through the tax.

Illinoisans paid the highest state and local taxes for wireless cell phone services in the nation in 2024 – $136 per family more than the average. An increase in Illinois’ telecommunication tax July 1 just made them even higher.

Illinois is adding a 25-cent fee to all bets and 50-cent fee to high-volume sportsbooks such as DraftKings and FanDuel starting July 1. Illinoisans lost $1.12 billion in 2024, with $700 million of that on parlays. The new fees will add even more to that total.