In this issue:
- Bears stadium bill passes House, uncertain future in Senate
- Latest tax hike proposal fails to advance
- Illinois county finds 60 dead people on jury panel
- On the move!
Bears stadium bill passes House, uncertain future in Senate
A “megaprojects” bill which would support several different potential projects in Illinois – the most prominent among them a new suburban stadium for the Chicago Bears – has passed the House but is likely to undergo more changes in the Senate.
I voted No.
Everyone in Illinois needs property tax relief, but I have serious concerns about whether this bill provides that relief. What it does do, however, is offer a special deal for a big, politically-connected entity, but no such deal for farmers and homeowners. In other words, it is a targeted carve-out for a certain group, when what we need is broad-based tax relief.
One of my biggest concerns has to do with the fact that this bill, as currently written, gives large corporations a decades-long tax advantage, while leaving homeowners, farmers and small businesses out in the cold. It just shifts the tax burden onto the rest of us.
After the bill was passed in the House the Bears stated that they were still not satisfied, and other interests also made similar claims. The bill is now awaiting approval by the Senate, so it is likely that we will see more changes before a final version comes up for a vote. I hope that we can come up with a way to keep the Bears in Illinois, while providing statewide economic development and tax relief to everyone in the state. But this bill did not do that, so I voted No.
Stay tuned.
Latest tax hike proposal fails to advance
A proposed amendment to the Illinois state constitution to raise taxes failed to advance in the House.
Illinoisans already face one of the highest tax burdens in the country, and yet some in state government just seem to want to keep coming back for more. But Illinois’ fiscal problems were not caused by a lack of taxation – they were caused by overspending. Each year, the state sets a new record for spending. And this year is shaping up to be no different.
Back in 2020, Illinois voters soundly rejected a proposed Constitutional amendment to raise taxes. This year’s proposed tax increase would have hit many small businesses who are already struggling in Illinois. But we were able to stop it before it moved forward. Because proposed Constitutional amendments must be passed by both houses of the legislature by May 3, this one will not be moving forward this year.
Illinois county finds 60 dead people on jury panel
A constitutional challenge has been filed by a defense attorney in northwest Illinois after it was discovered that 60 people listed as prospective jurors for a trial were dead – some of them for many years. Jury panels are assembled from lists of registered voters in the county, as well as lists of driver’s license and ID card holders and unemployment insurance data. This is giving rise to concerns about possible challenges to trials in other counties throughout the state.
At the very least, it suggests serious problems with the way the state compiles juror lists.
The defense attorney is arguing that the defendant’s right to a fair trial by jury is in jeopardy because the jury panel does not represent a fair cross section of the community, as required by the Constitution. It was discovered that 60 of the 200 people who were called for jury duty were dead, and the median age of prospective jurors was 72, even though the median age of county residents is 43. No one under the age of 42 received a summons for jury duty, and the list of potential jurors in the county contained 4500 more names than there are adults in the entire county.
The attorney’s filing “suggests the existence of a potentially more massive, statewide, systemic problem.” Of those summoned, one was the defense attorney’s mother, who passed away in 2006. Another 27 people on the list were over 100 years old.
While driver’s licenses must be renewed and unemployment insurance claims eventually expire, voter registration data must be actively purged of deceased persons or they will stay on the rolls indefinitely. House Republicans have warned about this problem for years, but Democrats have refused to act. Now we are seeing a serious consequence of this inaction.
On the move!
We’re on the move!
This was the final week at our office located at 132 E. Main St. in Dwight. We’re excited for what’s ahead and will share our new address once we’re up and running again in mid-summer!
In the meantime, if you need to meet with our team, please give us a call at 779-218-3069 and we’ll be happy to schedule an appointment.
If you need to mail something, you can send it to our Watseka Office at: 342 W. Walnut St. #2 Watseka, IL 60970!
We can’t wait to welcome you to our new space soon!
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 $1,985,615,618. 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
DHS wants millions more from taxpayers after federal SNAP changes
New details emerge on hospital shooting of Chicago police officer
Illinois State Police welcomes new troopers of Cadet Class 152
Appeals court upholds former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s corruption conviction