SPRINGFIELD, IL — During floor debate on the FY2026 state budget, Assistant Minority Leader and State Representative John M. Cabello (R-Machesney Park) criticized the rushed process and lack of transparency surrounding the final legislation, while calling attention to millions in pork spending that offers little to no benefit for taxpayers in his district or across the state.
“When I asked questions in committee, there were no answers—and I don’t expect I’m going to get any answers here tonight,” Cabello said. “We’re rushing this process like we always do. Let’s hide this stuff so the public doesn’t see it until it’s too late.”
Cabello highlighted specific examples of what he called wasteful spending, referencing pages of line items buried deep in the budget. “You’re saying there’s nothing in this budget that isn’t needed? Let’s just go to page 1,500—$300,000 for a grant to JCFS Chicago. Or $100,000 for the appropriation of Sunshine Critical Arts Center. Is that critical to this budget?”
He continued: “There is so much pork in here—and none of it is in any of the Republican districts. And you know what? They have taxpayers too. Their taxpayers are paying for this and they get nothing—except another almost billion-dollar tax increase placed on them.”
Cabello warned that the budget fails to address key challenges like the transit funding crisis: “This doesn’t even cover the transit problem that we are going to have—$730 million this year, $1.5 billion next year. What the hell are we going to do then?”
Rejecting blame-shifting by majority party leaders, Cabello added: “I don’t want to hear that it’s the Trump administration’s fault. The Trump administration didn’t force the state of Illinois to do a pension holiday year after year after year. The Trump administration didn’t say, ‘Let’s pay overtime to CTA workers to the tune of $233,000—just in overtime.’”
Cabello concluded with a message to his colleagues: “Ladies and gentlemen, we owe it to the people that gave us the honor of sitting in these seats to do better.”
Watch the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Umlyaa5vu4U
For further details or inquiries, please contact Representative Cabello at 815-621-2196.
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John M. Cabello is the Assistant Minority Leader and State Representative for Illinois’ 90th House District, which includes the following communities in Winnebago, Stephenson, and Boone counties: Rockford, Machesney Park, Freeport, Roscoe, Loves Park, Rockton, South Beloit, Caledonia, Durand, Rock City, and Rockton.