(Editor's Note: This article was published first at Illinois Policy Institute).
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s re-election announcement July 19 made it clear state finances would be central to his campaign, with boasts about balancing the state budget and making full pension payments for each year of his term.
The problem is, neither claim is true.
Illinois continues to grapple with large structural budget deficits and a growing pension crisis that is outpacing taxpayers’ ability to pay. If Pritzker really wants Illinoisans to grant him a second term, a good place to start would be telling them the truth about the state’s finances.