In this issue:
- Property tax relief needs to be on the fall session agenda
- Florida Chamber accuses Illinois of being in a “death spiral”
- Museums in the Park card available year round
- Illinois headlines
Property tax relief needs to be on the fall session agenda
Illinoisans are dealing with rising costs and a broken property tax system that hits homeowners and small businesses too hard, while making it more difficult for the state to attract and retain employers. It is long past time that we reform this system. When the legislature returns to Springfield for the fall session in late November, property tax reform should be one of the items on the agenda.
House Republicans have filed bills to reform different parts of the state’s property tax system. One of these is House Bill 9, which would help provide property tax relief by making grants to school districts which reduce property taxes. It would reduce the burden on homeowners while providing another source of support for local schools.
Another reform bill, HB 1282, would better support local governments and reduce the pressure on them to raise property taxes. A certain portion of state tax revenue is shared with local governments each year through the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF). But while the LGDF figure was originally set at 10%, it has been gradually reduced by about a third. Local governments must still provide services, but without the same level of support from the state, many have been forced to raise property taxes to make up the difference. This bill would restore those cuts and provide local governments with support – without having to raise property taxes.
One other relief bill is House Bill 4405, which expands eligibility for property tax relief for surviving spouses of veterans killed in the line of duty.
These are just some of the property tax reform ideas which have been filed in this General Assembly. Property tax reform is an issue that has been too long ignored in Springfield.
Florida Chamber accuses Illinois of being in a “death spiral”
If you’ve traveled north from the 106th District recently you might have seen some billboards sponsored by the Florida Chamber of Commerce which deride Illinois as being in a “death spiral.”
The billboards point out Illinois’ recent record of job loss, outmigration and high taxes. It is not just Illinois which is drawing the attention of the Sunshine State, similar billboards have also been sponsored in New York by the same group.
Figures from the Census Bureau indicate that Illinois’ population declined by around 0.8% between 2020 and 2025, dropping from 12.8 million residents to 12.7 million. Florida’s population increased by 8.9% in the same time period, going from 21.5 million residents to 23.5 million. There have been stories over the past few years of businesses, such as Citadel, which have left Illinois for Florida. Data from truck rental and moving firms has also tended to suggest outmigration from Illinois.
Outmigration has been a problem for Illinois for many years. Illinois’ job creation and business climate is generally less competitive than those in other states. The Florida Chamber has given us a reminder of the work we need to do in the legislature to improve Illinois’ attractiveness to job creators.
Museums in the Park card available year round
Did you know our office has a Museums in the Park card available year-round?
The card provides free admission for four to participating museums and attractions, including the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Brookfield Zoo, Adler Planetarium, Chicago Children’s Museum, and many more!
Ready to plan your next adventure? When contacting our office to reserve the card, please let us know which museum you plan to visit and on what date. You can reach my office by phone at 779-218-3070 or via email at [email protected].
The card is available year-round, so whether you’re planning a day trip, a weekend adventure, or something fun over school break, we’d love to help you enjoy one of these great attractions!
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 $1,475,875,446. This figure changes daily. Last year at this time the state had $1.7 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
21 Illinois schools receive funding to support ag education
Hunters Feeding Illinois supports local food pantries
Rains leak into harvest in La Salle County
IEMA officials: FEMA aid for Paxton, other Illinois communities comes down to Trump
Grundy County EMA held prep rally to celebrate National Preparedness Month