Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Fiscal Year 2026 budget Monday in Chicago. [Camryn Cutinello/The Daily Line]

With 14 days to spare, Gov. JB Pritzker signed the $55.2 billion state budget Monday morning.

The Fiscal Year 2026 budget will officially go into effect July 1, backed by new taxes on nicotine products, gambling and out-of-state corporations. The spending plan is the largest in state history, but Pritzker praised it as balanced and said it represented necessary investments in Illinois.

As Chicago-area transit agencies enter an uncertain budget year, the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) is preparing for potential service cuts. 

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul testify before the U.S. House Oversight Committee Thursday in Washington, D.C. [CSPAN]

Gov. JB Pritzker testified Thursday at a seven-hour long hearing of the U.S. House Oversight Committee on sanctuary state policies that featured arguments between committee members, discussions of a U.S. senator being removed from a press conference in California and many off-topic questions.  

Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias speaks at a press conference Thursday. [Illinois.gov]

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias says Texas law enforcement illegally accessed automatic license plate reader data in Mount Prospect to locate a woman who had an abortion and announced new measures intended to prevent future incidents. 

The Illinois State Board of Education has launched a wellness conference, trained staff on a state literacy plan and expanded internal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) resources as part of a strategic plan to improve Illinois’ public schools. 

Gov. JB Pritzker signs Illinois’ assault weapons ban in January 2023. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line] 

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined 15 attorneys general in suing the Trump administration over a plan to return confiscated forced reset triggers and allow them to be sold again. 

Republican lawmakers say they’re thankful bills they opposed like medical aid in dying, transit reform and homeschool reform did not pass in the spring session but say they will remain “vigilant” as they expect measures to return in the fall veto and 2026 spring session. 

Stefan Kühn, CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons

As summer rate hikes go into effect across the state, Illinois lawmakers again punted on an energy omnibus intended to address rising energy rates and Illinois’ climate goals. 

Gov. JB Pritzker will consider measures to create a direct admissions program for Illinois students to attend state universities and codify protections for students regardless of citizenship status. 

As Gov. JB Pritzker prepares to testify before Congress next week, he called federal immigration actions in Chicago Wednesday “inappropriate.”