Fact Check: The FY26 budget increases discretionary spending by less than 1% while fully meeting pension obligations and increasing the Budget Stabilization Fund.

Fact Check: "The FY26 budget increases discretionary spending by less than 1% while fully meeting pension obligations and increasing the Budget Stabilization Fund."

What We Know

The claim states that the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) budget increases discretionary spending by less than 1% while also fully meeting pension obligations and increasing the Budget Stabilization Fund. According to the Governor's announcement, the FY26 budget indeed reflects an increase in discretionary spending of less than 1%. Additionally, the budget is reported to include a projected deposit of $161 million into the Budget Stabilization Fund, which is expected to total nearly $2.5 billion by the end of FY26 (source-7).

Moreover, the budget aims to meet pension obligations, which is a critical aspect of state financial management. The Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Briefing indicates that the budget is designed to maintain fiscal discipline while addressing essential funding needs, including pensions.

Analysis

The claim is evaluated based on several sources. The primary source confirming the increase in discretionary spending is the Governor's announcement, which is a reliable government source. It explicitly states the increase is less than 1%, aligning with the claim. The mention of pension obligations being fully met is supported by the broader context of the budget's goals, as outlined in the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Briefing, which emphasizes fiscal responsibility and meeting financial commitments.

However, while the claim is accurate regarding the discretionary spending increase and the Budget Stabilization Fund, it lacks specificity about the pension obligations. The details about how these obligations are met are not elaborated upon in the sources, which could lead to ambiguity regarding the completeness of the claim. The reliability of the sources is generally high, as they come from official government documents and announcements, but the lack of detailed financial breakdowns in some cases may limit the depth of verification.

Conclusion

The verdict for the claim is Partially True. The claim accurately reflects the increase in discretionary spending and the projected contributions to the Budget Stabilization Fund. However, the assertion regarding fully meeting pension obligations lacks detailed substantiation in the provided sources, which makes it difficult to fully endorse without additional context or data.

Sources

1. Fiscal-Year-2026-Discretionary-Budget-Request.pdf
2. Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Briefing and Town Hall
3. EXECUTIVE BUDGET
4. DOE FY 2026 Budget in Brief
5. FY 2026 Budget Request to Congress May 30, 2025
6. Gov. Pritzker Signs Seventh Consecutive Balanced Budget
7. Gov. Pritzker Signs Seventh Consecutive Balanced Budget
8. Gov. Pritzker Announces Passage of Seventh Consecutive ...