Gov. Pritzker’s Budget Address: Tax Reform, Pensions, Pot And More

By Meha Ahmad
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker gives his first state budget address in Springfield on Wednesday.
File: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker gives his first state budget address in Springfield. John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune via AP
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker gives his first state budget address in Springfield on Wednesday.
File: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker gives his first state budget address in Springfield. John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune via AP

Gov. Pritzker’s Budget Address: Tax Reform, Pensions, Pot And More

By Meha Ahmad
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In his first budget address as Illinois governor, Democrat J.B. Pritzker unveiled what he called an “honest” and “balanced” proposal on the House floor in Springfield on Wednesday.

He also described the budget proposal as “more constrained” than he would like.

Tasked with trying to get Illinois’ financial house in order and deal with the state’s pension crisis and debt load, the governor talked about new revenue streams but was at times light on details.

Morning Shift breaks down the speech’s main takeaways and what to expect out of Springfield this year. 

GUEST: Dave McKinney, WBEZ state politics reporter