By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker says the state will be spending taxpayer money, and he wishes it could spend more, to celebrate the United States’ 250th anniversary next year.

The governor visited Chicago’s Navy Pier Wednesday to announce Illinois’ plans to celebrate statewide in 2026.

“From early Native American tribes to the Civil War to the civil rights movement to today, Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama and Ida B. Wells, the story of Illinois has always been the story of America. We are, after all, the most American of American states,” Pritzker said.

The governor said the state’s America 250 celebration would tell the story through programming, events and education in every corner of the state.

Illinois America 250 Commission Chair and Illinois Humanities Executive Director Gabrielle Lyon said, to date, 68 of the state’s 102 counties have planned celebrations.

Lyon said events are planned at the Peoria Riverfront Museum, the 2026 Southern Illinois Music Festival and the Cairo Magnolia Celebration.

In addition, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield will be holding a youth art contest.

A reporter asked Pritzker how much taxpayer money would be spent on the celebrations.

“Each of the departments has a little bit of the budget of it. It’s really not very expensive. I honestly wish that we were able to spend more, because I want the celebrations to be as big as possible,” Pritzker answered.

The governor said local, county and township governments are sharing the cost of local events throughout the next year.

Nora Daley, board chair of the Illinois Arts Council, announced that the celebration would include a $300,000 investment in public art projects across the state.

The Illinois Arts Council, a state government agency, awarded $22,395,760 in grants during fiscal year 2025. The state budget for fiscal 2026 appropriated $24,440,800 to the agency along with $1,325,000 in federal funds for a total of $25,765,800 taxpayer dollars.

Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood also spoke at the announcement in Chicago Wednesday.

The former Republican congressman offered thanks to Pritzker and recalled U.S. presidents from Illinois.

“When you think of the three presidents who we call presidents from Illinois, all very bipartisan individuals who pulled the country together the way that our governor is pulling Illinois together, thank you governor, for carrying on that legacy,” LaHood said.

Without mentioning President Donald Trump by name, Pritzker alluded to the current administration a few minutes earlier.

“At a time when it seems many of our founding principles are being challenged and our institutions are being tested, it is more important than ever to loudly reaffirm our belief in the power and the promise of our constitutional democracy,” Pritzker said.

Pritzker resumed criticizing Trump directly a short time later when he took questions from reporters.

The governor was asked if he regretted wearing a bulletproof vest on television to mock the president’s comments about crime in Chicago, only to then have violent incidents take place in the city.

“People that call Illinois a hellhole or Chicago a hellhole, people that denigrate our state deserve to be mocked, and that is what I was trying to do,” Pritzker said.