In this issue:
- Illinois Property Taxes Highest in the Nation
- National Night Out in Dwight this Tuesday
- Senior Citizens Fairs Coming Up Soon
- Illinois’ Pension Crisis
- Illinois State Fair
- Goodbye Ryne Sandberg
Thank you for reading my e-newsletter. For the latest news from state government or to share your ideas and opinions, please visit my legislative website at repbunting.com.
Illinois Property Taxes Highest in the Nation
After years of ranking No. 2 to New Jersey, the latest data shows Illinoisans paid the highest property taxes in the nation during 2023. Worse, Illinoisans also pay steep income and sales taxes.
Illinois homeowners paid an average effective property tax rate of 1.83%, the highest in the nation. On a median-priced home of $250,500, that amounts to $4,584 per year. Neighboring states had significantly lower rates, making the idea of finding a home outside of Illinois appealing.
Learn more at the Illinois Policy Institute’s website.
FREE Senior Fairs coming up Monday and Wednesday
Mark your calendars for a couple of FREE senior resource fairs coming up next week in Morris and Pontiac.
On Monday I am joining with Senators Chris Balkema and Sue Rezin, as well as Representative Jed Davis to host a senior resource fair at Saratoga Elementary School in Morris. The school is located at 4040 N. Division Street, and the event will run from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m.
Wednesday’s senior resource fair will be at the Pontiac Parks and Recreation Center, at 900 N. Elm Street. Sen. Balkema and Rep. Dennis Tipsword will be co-sponsoring the fair, which opens at 9 a.m. and ends at 11 a.m.
We will have lots of vendors, from state and local government agencies as well as the private sector, all with important information about resources available for seniors and their loved ones. There will be free health screenings, refreshments and door prizes. Legislators and staff will be on hand to answer your state government questions.
These are great events with a wealth of helpful information. If you are able, I hope you will stop by!
National Night Out is coming up in Dwight
When: Tuesday, August 5th, from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Members of my staff will be on hand to assist constituents with questions and to offer our appreciation to our hard working and dedicated law enforcement officers! Details are below.
Report Shows Illinois Government Pension Crisis Worst in U.S.
Illinois has the nation’s worst public pension crisis. Nationwide analysis from the Equable Institute shows Illinois state pensions remain fiscally unstable and threaten retirees and taxpayers, underscoring the need for reform.
The Equable Institute’s annual report on the state of public pensions nationwide reaffirms that Illinois pensions continue to lag the nation in funding and are in desperate need of reform.
If the state fails to fix its pension issues, the budget will continue to be strained, people will continue leaving the state over high taxes and future pension benefits could be at risk. Preserving the cost savings of Tier 2, offering retirement choice to state employees and constitutional pension reform should all be implemented if Illinois is to have any hope of gaining fiscal stability.
Comparing pension debt to the state’s gross domestic product helps measure the state’s ability to pay based on the local tax base. By that measure, Illinois ranks as the nation’s worst: unfunded obligations equal 19.02% of state GDP, up from 18.52% a year ago. In other words, roughly one-fifth of everything produced in the state would be required just to erase the shortfall.
That’s driving up the burden on taxpayers, whose contributions to state pension systems have grown nearly 20-fold, from $614 million in fiscal year 1996 to $11.2 billion in fiscal year 2025. The heavy pension bill explains why Illinoisans pay the highest effective property tax rate in the country.
Illinois’ funded ratio, the share of promised benefits already covered by assets, is 50.6%, the second worst in the nation. The state finished the previous two years in last place, but this year New Jersey slipped below it with a ratio of 50.2%. Illinois is one of only four states that remains under the 60% threshold many analysts label as seriously troubled.
Read more on this report from the Illinois Policy Institute.
ILLINOIS STATE FAIR – Adventure Awaits at the Illinois State Fair!
The 2025 Illinois State Fair is only one week away, and this year promises plenty of adventure and excitement at the state fairgrounds in Springfield.
This year’s event features a showcase of Illinois agriculture and products, as well as plenty of carnival rides, attractions, concerts and (of course) good food!
The event kicks off on Thursday August 7 with the annual State Fair Twilight Parade through Springfield and into the fairgrounds.
The fair is offering plenty of deals and discounts for visitors, on everything from parking and admission to food.
This year’s grandstand lineup features everyone from Snoop Dogg to Brad Paisley to Def Leppard and the Black Crowes at night, with horse racing and even auto racing during the day.
Every day at the fair has a theme, with special programs and discounted admission. Special days will celebrate agriculture, veterans, senior citizens, first responders and park districts just to name a few.
Read more about the Illinois State Fair at The Caucus Blog.
REMEMBERING “RYNO”
Ryne Sandberg, Cubs icon and Hall of Famer, passes away at 65
An iconic player who helped redefine the second base position and authored one of the great singular performances in the long, storied history of the Chicago Cubs, Ryne Sandberg died on Monday after battling cancer. He was 65 years old.
Sandberg left behind a legacy of a quiet superstar who may have been reluctant to find the spotlight, but demanded it with a blend of power, speed and defense that made him one of baseball’s all-time greats. He spent the majority of his brilliant 16-year career with the Cubs, earning induction into the Hall of Fame in 2005.
“Ryne Sandberg was a hero to a generation of Chicago Cubs fans and will be remembered as one of the all-time greats in nearly 150 years of this historic franchise,” said Cubs executive chairman Tom Ricketts on behalf of his family and the Cubs’ organization. “His dedication to and respect for the game, along with his unrelenting integrity, grit, hustle, and competitive fire were hallmarks of his career.
“He was immensely proud of his teammates and his role as a global ambassador of the game of baseball, but most of all, he was proud of Margaret, his children and his role as husband, father and grandfather.”
At the time of his retirement, Sandberg stood as Major League Baseball’s record-holder for home runs as a second baseman (277 of his 282 shots). He was a 10-time All-Star who collected nine Gold Glove Awards, seven Silver Slugger trophies and won the 1984 National League Most Valuable Player Award.
Read more on Ryne Sandberg’s life and Hall-of-Fame career at MLB.com.
Illinois Bill Backlog Reaches Over $3 Billion
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 $3,095,332,504.31 This figure changes daily. Last year at this time, the state had $868 million 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.
Reach out to my office —
342 W. Walnut Street
Watseka, IL 60970
779-218-3070
[email protected]
repbunting.com