In this issue:
- House returns to session on Tuesday
- Yet another mixed state revenue report
- Little change in state’s payroll picture
- Valentines for Seniors
House returns to session on Tuesday
The House will reconvene at the Capitol in Springfield to kick off the 2026 spring legislative session on Tuesday January 20.
We are scheduled to be in session Tuesday through Thursday. You can find the House calendar for each day by clicking here. If you would like to watch the proceedings live online, you can do so through this link.
Check back with these links throughout the spring session as they are regularly updated with each new session day and committee posting.
Yet another mixed state revenue report
Illinois’ Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability took a look at the state’s December 2025 revenue numbers and came back with yet another report that was a mix of good news and concerning news.
Personal income tax revenue was up by $271 million in December 2025 when compared to December 2024, and sales tax revenues increased by $142 million compared to a year ago. The bad news was that other state revenue sources, such as corporate income tax payments and federal aid payments, sharply declined in December. It is also possible that the improved numbers for the month may be due in part to the calendar itself: there were two additional cash-flow days in December 2025 than there were in December 2024 because of the way in which weekends and weekdays occurred during the month.
We will have to see if the January figures are similar to December’s. The legislature will soon begin the process of putting together a state budget for the upcoming fiscal year which begins on July 1.
Little change in state’s payroll picture
Unemployment in Illinois was unchanged in November, holding at 4.4% according to numbers released last week by the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). The November figures, the most recent totals available, are compared with September, because no October number was collected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics due to the federal government shutdown.
The total number of nonfarm jobs in Illinois fell by 0.2% in November, to 6,145,600. Largest increases during the month were in the fields of Construction (up 1600), and Private Education and Health Services (increased by 800). Those sectors which saw declines included Transportation and Utilities (lost 2900), Leisure and Hospitality (down 2300) and Manufacturing (off by 1600).
Nationally, the number of nonfarm payroll jobs increased by 0.6%. IDES reported that there are 288,600 unemployed persons in Illinois.
Valentines for Seniors
Senator Chris Balkema, Representative Dennis Tipsword and I will be collecting valentines to be delivered to area seniors.
You can drop off valentines or mail them to any of the locations listed below. If you plan to drop them off in person, it is a good idea to call ahead to make sure someone is there to receive them. The valentines can be homemade or store-bought.
Valentines can be dropped off or mailed to 305 W. Madison Street, Pontiac 61764; 132 E. Main Street, Dwight 61738; 125 W. Front Street, El Paso 61738; or 1001 E. Grant Street, Watseka 60970. You can also drop off valentines at my district office at 342 W. Walnut Street in Watseka. The deadline to drop them off is Monday February 2.
Thank you for sharing some love and cheer for our local senior citizens.
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 $2,618,509,459. This figure changes daily. Last year at this time the state had $2.2 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
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Illinois Extension’s strategic plan showing significant progress