As Illinois residents prepare for their annual summer trips to our great state, this is a timely reminder of how quickly a state’s financial and economic stability can deteriorate under one-party rule.
The warning signs became clear after the 2018 elections. Once Democrats achieved a complete trifecta in 2019 under Governor J.B. Pritzker, unified liberal control produced dozens of tax and fee hikes—approximately 57 measures totaling $77 billion since 2019—driving Illinois’ overall tax burden among the nation’s highest.
But that’s not all.
Since Democrats gained total control, Illinois has ranked #1 in a staggering number of unfortunate categories. Wisconsin will soon become their competitor if we don’t elect fiscally conservative candidates in November.
#1 in Highest Property Taxes
Under the current administration, Illinois surpassed New Jersey to claim the highest effective property tax rate in the country. Statewide property tax collections have climbed nearly 27 percent since Pritzker took office, rising from $31.8 billion in 2018 to $40.37 billion in 2024. Increases have continued even as state aid to K-12 education has grown, driven by pension obligations, state mandates, and assessment practices that keep pushing bills higher for homeowners and businesses.
#1 in State Government Pension Debt (and State Government Pension Debt per Capita)
Illinois’ pension crisis has worsened under unified Democratic leadership. The state’s five major public pension systems now carry unfunded liabilities of roughly $144–$148 billion (with broader public plans approaching $200 billion+ unfunded), the highest in the nation. Decades-old problems have persisted and grown, with generous benefit structures protected by the state constitution forcing ever-larger annual contributions. These payments now consume over 10 percent of the state budget and a major share of local property tax revenues, crowding out core services and driving sustained tax increases even as residents leave the state.
#1 in Highest Cell Phone Tax
Since 2019, Illinois has imposed the highest combined state and local taxes on wireless cell phone service in the nation. As of 2025, the total burden reached 38.32% after a July 2025 increase in the state telecommunications excise tax from 7% to 8.65%. Families in Illinois pay an average of $136 more per year than the national average.
Once Democrats took complete control in Illinois, they passed 57 different tax and fee hikes totaling over $77 billion since 2019.
#1 in Biggest Gas Tax Increase Since 2019
In the very first year of the Democratic trifecta, Illinois doubled its motor fuel tax rate—the largest single gas tax hike by any state that year—raising it from 19 cents to 38 cents per gallon on gasoline (with comparable increases on diesel). Annual inflation adjustments have followed, pushing the combined state gas tax burden (including sales tax) to roughly 66–85 cents per gallon. Illinois now has the second-highest total gas taxes in the nation.
#1 in Eliminating School Choice Programs
In 2023, Illinois became the first and only state to eliminate a major school choice program when the Invest in Kids tax-credit scholarship program was allowed to sunset without renewal. The program had served nearly 15,000 low-income students; its termination, backed by teachers unions and Democratic leadership, removed private school options for families.
#1 in Fiscal Instability
Illinois ranks dead last (#50 out of 50) in fiscal stability in U.S. News & World Report’s Best States rankings. The score reflects massive long-term pension liabilities and persistently weak credit ratings that have remained the worst in the nation throughout the Pritzker era.
#1 in Lowest Bond Rating
Illinois has maintained the lowest state bond rating in the country for more than 13 consecutive years—the longest streak in U.S. history. Even after ten upgrades since Pritzker took office (reaching Moody’s A2 in 2025, the highest in over 20 years), the state remains ranked last by all three major rating agencies, resulting in higher borrowing costs for taxpayers.
#1 in Most Public Corruption in a Federal District
The Northern District of Illinois (Chicago and surrounding counties) has continued to lead the nation in federal public corruption convictions under unified Democratic control, with the Chicago area repeatedly ranked as the most corrupt metropolitan region in America. Illinois remains among the top states for public corruption convictions.
#1 in Local Government Bureaucracy
Illinois continues to lead the nation with the highest number of local government units—more than 6,900 by U.S. Census data—creating overlapping layers of bureaucracy that drive up costs passed on to taxpayers through higher property taxes and fees.
#1 in Lowest Financial Transparency Score
Illinois ranks last in the nation for financial transparency, with the lowest score (47 out of 100) in recent Truth in Accounting reports. Repeated audit disclaimers, delayed financial reports, and incomplete pension disclosures leave taxpayers with less visibility into liabilities than in any other state.
Wisconsin, with its lower taxes and stronger economic growth, now stands at a crossroads. A Democratic trifecta in Madison could trigger similar rapid shifts: higher or graduated income taxes, rising property tax burdens, aggressive minimum wage hikes, and costly energy mandates.
Illinois did not ease into these changes—they accelerated swiftly after one party achieved total control. Wisconsin still has time to learn from that experience and protect its competitive edge in taxes, economic opportunity, and quality of life.
The border is thin. Wisconsin can chart a different course by recognizing the risks before the same policies that have burdened Illinois take hold here.
