Pritzker wants 3rd term, but he’s already made Illinois much more expensive
Gov. JB Pritzker recently announced his intention to seek a third term, the first time for an Illinois governor in more than 40 years.
Pritzker said: “Illinois is standing at the center of the fight — the fight to make life more affordable, the fight to protect our freedoms, the fight for common sense.”
The irony about Pritzker and affordability isn’t lost on Illinoisans.
Pritzker’s tenure has been marked by record-setting spending and tax, fee hikes that have punished working families and Illinois businesses. He has overseen a $15 billion increase in state spending since taking office — the largest jump under any Illinois governor, Democrat or Republican. Pritzker seeks a third term after creating a state more expensive to live and work in than when he first took office, and nothing predicts the future like past performance.
The stakes are higher this election, with Prtizker eyeing a presidential run. Illinoisans are looking for new policies to actually improve affordability — an area Pritzker hasn’t delivered on — not to elect a placeholder gearing up for a presidential bid.
If Pritzker wins reelection, he no longer will be able to mask his record spending with the nearly $14 billion in one-time federal pandemic relief funds Illinois received in the early 2020s. Those funds are gone, and Illinois residents and businesses will have to directly pay for any of Pritzker’s third-term initiatives.
Paying up is not an uncommon burden for Illinois residents: Pritzker has spearheaded 49 separate tax and fee hikes since taking office. Pritzker’s taxes are over two-thirds of the 70 new taxes enacted in Illinois since 2010. As a result, Illinois has the highest combined state and local tax burden in the nation, with an average family surrendering 16.5% of their income to government coffers.
When it comes to relief, Pritzker paused then eliminated the state’s grocery tax, which won’t go into effect until 2026. Unfortunately, more than 100 towns already have added local versions. He also paused the gas tax automatic increase during COVID. That’s it.
There’s only so much Illinoisans can take. High taxes under Pritzker’s administration have contributed to the exodus of residents and businesses from Illinois. Recent polling shows 54% of Illinois voters now cite high taxes as the most important issue facing the state, with the economy coming in second. Illinoisans are craving a different approach. Instead, they’re getting more of the same.
On July 1, Illinoisans were subjected to more new tax hikes, including Pritzker’s infamous annual gas tax increase. The gas tax grows at the rate of inflation every year and is now at 48.3 cents per gallon, up from 19 cents in 2019 and costing each driver an extra $143 per year. Illinois also added a new 25- to 50-cent levy on sports betting, a 6% tax on short-term rentals such as Airbnb and Vrbo, a 45% wholesale tax on tobacco products including vapes and an increase in the telecom tax from 7% to 8.65%.
For Illinois businesses, these taxes mean higher operating costs and fewer resources to grow with or invest in hiring. Industries that rely on transportation, such as logistics, construction and delivery services, are hit especially hard by the rising gas tax.
These added fines and fees add up when considering existing challenges such as rising inflation and increased minimum wage mandates, leaving many small businesses and restaurants struggling with how to make the numbers work. Rather than fostering a pro-business job climate, the state’s growing tax burden is leaving employers with tough decisions about whether to raise prices, cut staff or even relocate.
Pritzker’s tenure has left businesses and taxpayers even more uncertain about the state’s fiscal future, especially when tax increases are constantly being pushed.
As soon as this fall, Illinois lawmakers could consider another round of tax hikes — including a $1.50 tax on all food and package deliveries — as part of a package to fill the $770 million fiscal cliff facing Chicago-area transit agencies.
Going forward, Pritzker must prioritize smart, tax-hike-free budgets. Additionally, adopting a spending cap and consensus revenue forecasting could reduce the amount of waste and pork in Illinois’ budget. It could prevent lawmakers from issuing last-minute tax hikes on Illinois’ residents and businesses.
As the 2026 election heats up, Illinois business leaders must demand discussions and real solutions about affordability are every candidate’s No. 1 priority.
• Matt Paprocki is the president and CEO of the Illinois Policy Institute.