In this issue:
- Restoring local control to wind and solar projects
- Voting begins on new state flag
- Report warns of stagnant Illinois economy
- Illinois headlines
Restoring local control to wind and solar projects
An issue that I have heard about from countless local officials and constituents has to do with local control over wind and solar projects. These projects have significant local effects, yet a state law removes the ability of local governments to have any say over these projects. This has to change – we need to restore local control.
The day after I was sworn in to the new General Assembly I filed House Bill 1201 to give local governments a voice in wind and solar projects. My bill would re-instate any county zoning ordinance pertaining to wind farms, commercial wind energy facilities or commercial solar energy facilities that was in effect before January 27, 2023, allow it to remain in effect. It would also re-instate county ordinances which were in effect back in 2007 when a different state law made changes.
My bill would give local governments and local citizens a say in the development of these projects which are happening right in their back yards. It is time to bring back local control.
The bill is currently awaiting assignment to a House committee for review.
Voting begins on new state flag
A few months ago the commission tasked with developing a new Illinois state flag released its list of ten finalists. There were almost 5000 different ideas submitted by the public. From these submissions the commission selected the ten designs which Illinoisans now have the choice of voting upon. Illinoisans also have the option of voting to keep the current flag or choose one of two historical designs: the flag celebrating Illinois’ centennial birthday in 1918 and the flag from the sesquicentennial in 1968.
The public vote is advisory only, and participants will have to sign in and cast only one vote per day, with voting ending on February 14. After reviewing the vote, the Illinois Flag Commission will submit a report to the General Assembly by April 1 with its recommendation as to which design should be selected. The final decision will be up to the General Assembly.
To review the finalists and cast your vote, please click here.
Report warns of stagnant Illinois economy
The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability is the non-partisan state agency charged with keeping an eye on the state’s finances and economic trends. It issues frequent reports on these subjects and has lately been warning about the state’s fiscal condition. This month came another warning about Illinois’ economic future.
The commission reported on Illinois economy by metro areas, as compared to the year before the pandemic and found that long-term trends have been moving in the wrong direction.
“Illinois metro areas have lagged behind most of the nation in GDP growth since 2019,” the report found, referencing Gross Domestic Product economic growth. They specifically focused on the trend of finance jobs moving from headquarters in Illinois to cities such as Atlanta, Dallas and Miami.
The report did find an increase in personal income tax payments coming into the state’s coffers last month, with revenue in December 2024 up by $524 million compared to December 2023. But this spike might be an illusion, as the commission attributed it to an accounting quirk having to do with the way money is credited to standard income taxes as opposed to taxes on corporate entities. The December spike is not expected to continue into 2025.
Our current bill backlog
When a vendor provides the state with goods and services, they submit the bill to the Illinois Comptroller for payment. The Comptroller processes the paperwork and pays the bill when funds are available in the state’s checking account. Currently the total amount of unpaid bills is $2,219,627,403. This figure changes daily. Last year at this time the state had $1.8 billion in bills awaiting payment. This only includes bills submitted to the Comptroller for payment, not unfunded debts like the state’s pension liability, which is well over $100 billion.
Illinois headlines
How to engage with the legislature this session
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