Prairie State Wire

The Illinois Freedom Caucus has announced that Illinois ranks last in a national financial transparency report, highlighting concerns over the state's budgetary practices. The group shared their statement on the social media platform X.

According to the Truth in Accounting 2025 Financial Transparency Score Report, Illinois is ranked at the bottom among all 50 states due to delayed financial reporting and an unqualified audit opinion. The state's 2022 report carried a disclaimer of opinion, and no report for 2023 has been issued yet.

As reported by The Center Square, Truth in Accounting founder Sheila Weinberg said, "Illinois is chronically late on issuing its financial report," noting that as of July 14, 2025, the Fiscal Year 2023 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report had still not been released. This delay hinders transparency and undermines informed budget decisions.

The Freedom Caucus and affiliated GOP lawmakers filed legal action in June 2025 challenging the constitutionality of the budget process. They accuse Democrats of "ramming through" a $55 billion budget near midnight with inadequate time for public review—a tactic they argue is emblematic of fiscal opacity.

The Illinois Freedom Caucus is a bipartisan group of conservative state legislators led by Representative Chris Miller and Senator Andrew Chesney. They advocate for limited government, transparency, and fiscal responsibility within the Illinois General Assembly. The caucus supports constitutional adherence and has initiated lawsuits to enforce three-reading requirements and transparent budgeting practices.