J.B. Pritzker said it was “time to think big” to deal with the state’s challenges when he introduced himself to Illinois voters as a candidate for governor in a TV ad a little more than two years ago.
Now, five months into office, the Democratic governor finds himself just days away from lawmakers deciding the fate of his “think big” agenda. With the spring legislative session scheduled for a May 31 adjournment, the outcome figures to have a significant impact not only on the state but on the governor’s political future.
Pritzker vowed to change the income tax system and legalize sports betting and recreational marijuana. He proposed a series of tax hikes to balance the budget and unveiled a massive public works construction program with its own accompanying tax increases.