Last week, I asked if you supported Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s executive order directing agencies to cut up to 4% of their fiscal year 2026 budgets, or if it was just a public-relations stunt. Nearly 80% of you said it was another stunt.
Under Pritzker, state spending has grown nearly 40% in just seven years, despite record tax collections. Instead of reining in costs, he continues to expand government while blaming Washington, D.C., for Illinois’ fiscal problems.
His latest order directs agencies to cut “non-essential” spending, slow hiring and build reserves. But the real issue isn’t in D.C. — it’s here in Springfield. Earlier this year, the governor signed a $55 billion budget with over $1 billion in new taxes and gimmicks. He’s also pushed plans to raise everyday costs, like a $1.50 package delivery tax, new service taxes on haircuts, car repairs and home maintenance, and a digital ad tax on small businesses.
Meanwhile, Illinois trails neighboring states in job growth, and families are stretched thin by higher costs of living. Record revenues show we don’t have a revenue problem — we have a spending problem. Families live within their means every day. It’s time Springfield did the same.
$1B in transportation investments for district
I want to highlight a historic level of infrastructure investment coming to the 53rd Senate District under Illinois’ newly proposed $50.6 billion multi-year construction plan.
Under the fiscal year 2026-31 Rebuild Illinois Highway Improvement Program, the 53rd District will see 171 state highway projects with an estimated total cost of more than $900 million, plus 50 local highway projects totaling more than $65 million in improvements.
These dollars mean safer roads for families, less wear and tear on vehicles, and better connections for the businesses and farms that drive our region’s economy. It’s about making sure our communities get their fair share of resources and ensuring the 53rd District continues to thrive. Our families, farmers and small businesses rely on safe, dependable roads every day, and this funding will help improve quality of life while supporting local jobs and economic growth.
The statewide plan builds on the successes of Rebuild Illinois, the state’s largest-ever capital program, first passed in 2019. Over the next six years, it will dedicate billions to roads and bridges, while also supporting transit, rail, aviation and pedestrian and bicycle improvements.
October is Breast Cancer
Awareness Month
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month — a time dedicated to promoting screening, education and prevention around the second-most-common cancer among American women.
On average, every two minutes a woman in the U.S. is diagnosed with breast cancer. The National Breast Cancer Foundation reports that one in eight women will face a breast cancer diagnosis at some point in their lifetime. The foundation also reports that in 2025, an estimated 316,950 women and 2,800 men in the U.S. are expected to be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer.
However, when detected early, breast cancer carries a five-year survival rate of 99 percent. Today, more than four million breast cancer survivors are living in this country.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month is not only about acknowledging the impact of the disease but also about empowering individuals to make informed decisions about their health. For more information on breast cancer, visit the National Breast Cancer Foundation’s website.
Fall in Illinois means pumpkins
If you’re planning to carve a jack-o’-lantern for Halloween, sip a pumpkin spice latte or bake a pie for your Thanksgiving table, chances are your pumpkin had its start right here in Illinois.
Illinois continues to lead the nation in pumpkin production. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, farmers harvested a little over 485 million pounds of pumpkins in 2024. The Illinois Farm Bureau notes that the state grows more pumpkins than anywhere else in the world, with 90 to 95 percent of pumpkins used for processing grown here.
Much of that work happens in Morton, Ill., known as the “Pumpkin Capital of the World,” where over 85% of the world’s canned pumpkin is processed.
This year’s harvest began at the end of August and will continue through early November, filling farms, fields and patches with pumpkins to be picked and enjoyed.
Be sure to stop by your local pumpkin patch and grab a pumpkin or two to celebrate the spooky season. To find a local pumpkin patch near you, check out Enjoy Illinois’ guide to the state’s best pumpkin patches
Archery deer season here
The Illinois archery deer season began Oct. 1. For counties that do not have a firearm season — including Cook, DuPage and Lake counties, plus Kane County east of Illinois 47 — the archery season will run continuously from Oct. 1 through Jan. 18. In counties with firearm deer season and west of Illinois 47 in Kane County, the archery season will be divided into three periods: from Oct. 1 to Nov. 20, Nov. 24 to Dec. 3, and Dec. 8 through Jan. 18.
The harvest limits allow one deer per archer and a maximum of two antlered deer per year across all seasons (youth, archery, muzzleloader and firearm), except during the special chronic wasting disease (CWD) season. Deer seasons are counted within the same 12-month period starting from July 1.
In Illinois, tree stands are the leading cause of hunting-related accidents, so the Illinois Department of Natural Resources strongly recommends that hunters review safe tree stand practices before heading out. For additional guidance, hunters can consult the 2025–26 Illinois Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations and view the annual deer harvest report.
For more information about the archery deer season, contact the Illinois Department of Natural Resources at 217-782-6302 or email dnr.hunting@illinois.gov.
To reach Chris …
If you need assistance with any state government issue, you can call Balkema’s district offices in Dwight at 815-432-0106 or Pontiac at 815-844-9179. The Dwight district office is at 132 E. Main St., while the Pontiac district office is at 305 W. Madison St. For more information, visit Balkema’s website, senatorchrisbalkema.com, and follow him on Facebook and Instagram at “Senator Chris Balkema.”