Pritzker issues executive order to allocate 4% of Illinois budget to oppose Trump policies

CHICAGO, Ill. (WTVO) — Governor JB Pritzker signed an executive order today directing Illinois state agencies to reserve up to 4% of their budgets for Fiscal Year 2026 to mitigate the economic impact of Trump administration policies.

The executive order requires agencies to conduct immediate budget reviews to identify efficiencies and reductions. Agencies must identify up to 4% of General Funds appropriations for FY26 reserves to reinforce state finances.

Ralph Martire from the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability commented, “The governor is putting his administrative agencies in a relatively tough position but I mean you know he does have to insulate the state from the magnitude of the fiscal challenges that are going to be coming from the federal level.”

Governor Pritzker’s office highlighted the adverse effects of Trump’s economic policies, including tariffs that are taxing working families and disrupting supply chains. These measures are making it harder for businesses to hire, expand production, or maintain payrolls.

Illinois’ agriculture industry, valued at $13.7 billion, is facing challenges due to tariff-driven trade disruptions, affecting farmers’ income and rural jobs. Cuts to Medicaid and ACA coverage threaten healthcare access for an estimated 330,000 Illinoisans.

House Minority Leader Tony McCombie criticized the governor’s response, stating, “We warned that this budget was irresponsible and overspent. Stop passing blame, Governor. Illinoisans aren’t buying that recent policy changes in Washington, DC are to blame for the decades of Illinois’ financial mismanagement.”

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WTVO. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WTVO staff before being published.