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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Gov. JB Pritzker will deliver his 2026 State of the State address on Wednesday.
Pritzker is scheduled to speak at noon before a joint session of the legislature in Springfield. That news conference will be streamed in the media player at the top of this story.
What we know:
The annual address is a chance for the governor to unveil his budget plan for the next fiscal year, which begins on July 1.
The General Assembly will have to approve the budget by the end of June. A report from the governor's Office of Management and Budget estimated the state's budget deficit for 2027 would reach about $2.2 billion.
The State of Illinois is constitutionally required to approve a balanced budget every year.
Pritzker's address will comes as Illinois faces increasing fiscal pressure after the passage of President Trump's budget law last year. A report from Pritzker's budget office estimates that the new law will result in Illinois losing nearly $600 million in federal funding due to cuts, mostly to healthcare costs.
The state will also have to pay more to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which provides money to low-income residents to purchase food every month.
The speech is also an opportunity for Pritzker to highlight his accomplishments after seven years in office and as he runs for a third term as governor in Illinois. He was first elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022.
Pritzker is also earning significant buzz about a possible presidential run in 2028, although he has repeatedly deflected the question whether he's running. In a recent interview with Vox, he said he was focused on running for re-election as governor, but was "flattered" by the speculation about his prospects for the White House.