Another year, another bloated, tone-deaf budget from Gov. JB Pritzker.

And once again, working families are expected to foot the bill.

For seven straight years, the governor has traveled the state patting himself on the back and claiming everything is going great.

But the people paying the bills know better. At the kitchen table, at the gas pump, and on their monthly utility statements, Illinoisans are living the consequences of the Pritzker agenda. And the results are ugly.

On the issue that matters most, affordability, this governor and his far-left allies have flat-out failed.

Since taking office, Pritzker has ballooned the state budget by roughly $16 billion. That is not responsible governing. That is reckless growth fueled by a spending spree in Springfield. Now he is back again with a staggering $56 billion budget that doubles down on the same failed playbook.

Even more troubling are the priorities in his massive budgets. Instead of making life affordable for those who live here, Pritzker wants to fund programs for illegals, permanent surgeries for those suffering from the mental illness of transgenderism, and abortions.

And make no mistake about how he plans to fund it. More taxes. More fees. More pressure on the working men and women of Illinois.

While Pritzker and his leftists shovel money into their progressive wish list, the families who actually keep this state running are being squeezed from every direction. Affordability under this administration is not improving. It is getting crushed.

If affordability was truly the governor’s priority, he would stop targeting everyday Illinoisans as his personal ATM. Families are paying more for gas, more for electricity, and more for just about everything else that goes into running a household.

Meanwhile, the national economy has shown real strength. It is roaring under President Trump’s leadership. Yet Illinois continues to lag behind in nearly every major category.

The governor has even taken steps to distance Illinois from potential federal relief, a move that defies common sense for a state already facing serious financial strain. Just look at President Trump’s “no tax on tips” initiative. It is a clear example of potential relief for low-income workers in Illinois that was effectively taken off the table because of the governor’s focus on political positioning rather than genuine fiscal responsibility.

That is not a coincidence. That is the direct result of bad decisions made by an administration that seems far more interested in headlines than in helping its own residents.

My favorite part of the governor’s address was that he has been thinking a lot about love lately. Illinois taxpayers know exactly what that means. For seven years, this administration has shown a deep and unwavering love for taking more of their hard-earned money. From gas hikes to rising utility costs to a steady stream of new fees, the squeeze on working families has been both relentless and deliberate. Be prepared for more of it.

If you want a real-world reality check on how this budget will affect our state, look no further than our region that borders Wisconsin and Iowa. Every year, families and businesses run the numbers, and too many recognize Illinois is simply too expensive and too hostile to stay.

If this latest budget moves forward, no one should be surprised when that exodus accelerates.

After years of record spending, repeated tax hikes and government that keeps getting bigger while family budgets keep getting tighter, frustration across Illinois is reaching a boiling point. Families who leave take their paychecks, their investments, and their futures with them. Those who remain are left carrying an even heavier burden.

Perhaps most frustrating is that while Illinois families are being squeezed for every last dollar, the governor remains comfortable keeping his own wealth parked in the Cayman Islands.

Illinois does not have a revenue problem. Illinois has a spending addiction sitting in the governor’s office. Until that changes, working families will keep paying the price.

Andrew Chesney, R-Freeport, is the Illinois state senator for the 45th District.