Governor Pritzker Needs a Dose of Reality

During an interview with Capitol News Illinois last week, Governor Pritzker dismissed state Republicans as "doom grifters" and "carnival barkers," even suggesting they are rooting for Illinois to fail. The truth is, House Republicans have repeatedly offered real solutions for the challenges facing our state, only to be shut out of the legislative process by the Democratic supermajority.

The governor also made several claims that simply do not hold up to scrutiny.

Here are the facts:

House Republicans Offer Real Solutions

While the governor calls Republicans "carnival barkers," it is his party that has shut them out of the legislative process, effectively silencing the voices of the districts they represent. Republicans have repeatedly put forward solutions on key issues, only to be ignored by the Democratic supermajority.

• Year after year, Republicans are excluded from budget negotiations and often do not see the final budget language until the final hours of session.
• This past fall, Democrats brought their mass transit bailout bill to committee without providing any legislative language for Republicans to review.
  
• Even more recently, Representative John Cabello highlighted that Republicans were cut out of the negotiation process on the Mega Projects Bill.
  
• Meanwhile, House Republicans have introduced more than 40 bills to fix the broken SAFE-T Act, many of which have never even been given a hearing.
  
• Republicans have also introduced proposals to cut taxes, rein in spending, and bring relief to families struggling with Illinois' high cost of living, such as Representative Spain's HB 1383, which would allow taxpayers to deduct tip income from their state taxable income.

Governor Pritzker Is Cheering for Decline

If anyone is playing politics instead of working toward solutions, it is Governor Pritzker. Time and again, he has chosen political fights over cooperation with the federal government, even when it means Illinois families pay the price.

• To make a political statement, Governor Pritzker refused to opt Illinois into the federal "No Tax on Tips" provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill, meaning hardworking service industry employees in Illinois must still pay taxes on tipped wages.
• He has also failed to opt into the Educational Choice for Children Act, which would provide families with greater flexibility and relief when it comes to education costs, despite even the Democrat governor of Colorado saying it would be "crazy not to."
  
• During the 2025 veto session, Democrats decoupled Illinois from key federal tax provisions, a move expected to increase taxes on Illinois businesses by $390 million to $590 million.

Governor Pritzker's Tax Hikes Are Crushing Working Families

Despite the governor's claim that he has "lowered taxes on working-class people in this state," the facts tell a very different story.

• Just last week, WalletHub ranked Illinois number one for the highest tax rates in the country, a staggering 53% above the national average.
  
• According to the Illinois Policy Institute, Illinois residents are paying an average of $1,434 more per person in taxes than before Governor Pritzker took office.
  
• Compared to 2019, Illinois now collects $18 billion more from taxpayers, a 51% increase.
  
• Since taking office, Governor Pritzker has enacted at least 49 tax and fee hikes on Illinois families and businesses.

The State Board of Education Lowered the Bar

Governor Pritzker also criticized Republicans for not celebrating Illinois' eighth-grade reading and math scores. What he failed to mention is that the Illinois State Board of Education lowered the proficiency standards, making the results appear stronger than they actually are.

• Before the standards were lowered, just 41% of students in grades 3 through 8 could read at grade level in 2024.
  
• And in math, only 28% of students in grades 3 through 8 were proficient.
  
• Instead of helping students reach higher levels of achievement, state leaders simply lowered the bar.

Governor Pritzker can throw around insults like "doom grifters" and "carnival barkers," but the reality is clear. His administration and the Democratic supermajority have shut Republicans out of the legislative process while continuing to push policies that raise costs on Illinois families.

Illinoisans deserve leadership focused on real solutions, not political attacks.