Statement on Illinois General Assembly FY 2026 Budget Passage:
SCHAUMBURG, IL – Technology & Manufacturing Association (TMA) Executive Vice President Dennis LaComb issued the following statement regarding the unaffordable budget lawmakers passed in Springfield tonight:
“In typical Springfield fashion, lawmakers and Illinoisans only had hours to review details of the $55 billion budget that continues to spend recklessly with working families footing the bill. That wouldn’t fly in the real world. What’s worse is the budget that was just passed is something our state can’t afford. Illinois doesn’t just have billions sitting in the bank, and our state revenue won’t fully fund the budget.
“While people might be releasing a quick sigh of relief that there weren’t any broad tax increases, small and midsize manufacturers who handle their own budgets know the state will need to make up that money somehow and it will inevitably fall on the backs of our working families.
“When you’re financially drowning and spending more than you bring in, you don’t turn around and increase your budget—you get more effective, operate leaner, and hold yourself to being disciplined. That’s what business owners do. Unfortunately, the Governor’s budget does the exact opposite.
“TMA has had encouraging conversations with Republicans and Democrats who are part of the bipartisan Small and Midsize Manufacturers (SaMM) Caucus on ways we can help our manufacturers lower costs and create more jobs. While the conversations have been effective, the reality is that an unaffordable budget was passed, and the people who are going to be most negatively impacted by it will be working families and small and midsize businesses.”
About TMA: Founded in 1925, TMA is an independent trade association exclusively funded by industry and solely focused on small and midsize manufacturers. TMA has nearly 900 members representing approximately 39,000 manufacturing employees and more than 27 million square feet of manufacturing plant.
