Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » New bill would provide tax credits to people fleeing restrictive state abortion, trans, censorship laws
SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax      Advertise Here      About     Exclusive Subscriber Content     Updated Posts    Contact Rich Miller
CapitolFax.com
To subscribe to Capitol Fax, click here.
New bill would provide tax credits to people fleeing restrictive state abortion, trans, censorship laws

Thursday, Feb 8, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Rep. Kelly Cassidy’s HB5152

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax credit for each individual taxpayer who (i) is a healthcare provider who, for the purpose of providing lawful health care services in this State, permanently relocates during the taxable year to this State from a State with more restrictive abortion laws or more restrictive laws concerning access to other lawful health care, (ii) is a patient or the parent or guardian of a patient who, for the purpose of receiving those health care services in this State, permanently relocates during the taxable year to this State from a State with more restrictive abortion laws or more restrictive laws concerning the access to lawful health care, or (iii) is a qualified cohabitant of a person described in item (i) or (ii). Provides that the credit is in the amount of $500. Creates an income tax credit in the amount of $500 for taxpayers who are public school teachers or qualifying cohabitants of public school teachers who permanently relocate to the State from any other State as a result of content-based restrictions on educational materials imposed by the taxpayer’s state of origin. Effective immediately.

Rep. Cassidy said she does not yet have a cost estimate for her proposal. But she said it’s “certainly much less than the benefit of new tax paying residents, not to mention additional health care providers and teachers.”

* Press release…

Rep. Kelly Cassidy has introduced HB5152 which seeks to assist people who are forced to relocate to Illinois as a result of attacks on health care access and free speech in their home states. Under the bill, any taxpayer who relocates to Illinois as a patient or household member of a patient is eligible for a $500 tax credit. The bill also provides the same credit for licensed healthcare providers or teachers and their households.

Since the Dobbs decision reversed decades of legal precedence protecting the right to choose granted under Roe v. Wade, states across the country have jumped at the opportunity to pass bills including bans on reproductive care, criminalizing assisting patients, prohibiting gender-affirming care, banning books, and attacking teachers. Countless families in these states are facing an impossible choice between remaining in their home state or accessing health care for themselves or their children.

“When I left Florida in 1991 seeking a place that was more accepting of the LGBTQ community, it took months of planning and expenses. When I imagine a family with a trans kid being forced to flee their home just to access care for their child, or a couple facing a devastating pregnancy outcome realizing they’re simply not safe where they’ve made their home needing to act immediately, it’s just overwhelming to contemplate,” said Rep. Cassidy who grew up in Florida and still has family there, “And as someone with 3 siblings who have retired from the Florida public school system in the last couple of years as teachers face relentless attacks on their ability to teach their students without fear, I am all too aware of the struggles they face.”

“Ron DeSantis is inflicting deep and lasting damage on Florida with his war on freedom that bans books, censor’s curriculum, whitewashes history, blocks healthcare and replaces facts and science with extremist propaganda,” said Equality Florida Executive Director Nadine Smith. “We Floridians will be repairing the damage long after he has left the governor’s mansion. Conferences are canceling, talent is fleeing and the best and the brightest are abandoning our universities as he guts academic freedom. We are grateful that other state leaders are not only rejecting DeSantis’ extremist agenda, they are seeking ways to provide support for those who have relocated to safety as we rebuild a Florida that embraces inclusivity and dignity for all.”

“The nation is facing a war on people and their reproductive health care, as other states further strip away their rights. It is essential that Illinois keeps setting the standard as to what it means to be a safe haven state,” said State Senator Celina Villanueva (D – Chicago). “If we don’t step up, people will suffer and die because of the heinous ramifications of the downfall of Roe.”

“We thank Representative Kelly Cassidy for recognizing the hardships our patients are facing as they are fleeing their home states for essential health care,” said Jennifer Welch, Planned Parenthood of Illinois President and CEO. “We are in favor of any legislative tool that continues to support Illinois as a haven state for sexual and reproductive health care, including abortion and gender-affirming care.”

“LGBTQ+ people and families in anti-equality, anti-family states are making deeply personal decisions, under cruel conditions, about their futures. Illinois must do what she can to support these families, especially to help offset the economic burdens that LGBTQ+ people and their families already disproportionately experience,” said Mike Ziri, Equality Illinois Director of Public Policy. Thank you to Rep. Cassidy for leading on this innovative pro-equality, pro-family initiative.”

The tax credit would be the first of its kind in the country and in addition to providing assistance to new residents of Illinois, it will provide an incentive to licensed health care providers and teachers to make their home in Illinois and help address shortages in those professions.

* From the governor’s office…

The governor will thoroughly review all the bills that pass the General Assembly and make their way to his desk.

Do you think he should support it?

       

12 Comments
  1. - Sad - Thursday, Feb 8, 24 @ 2:52 pm:

    a WHOLE $500?! Wow, let me call the movers right now.


  2. - Dan Johnson - Thursday, Feb 8, 24 @ 3:09 pm:

    So much better than money for out of state business to come here. Or money for billionaire sports teams.

    Economic growth comes from people moving here or staying here.

    She is onto something.


  3. - Steve - Thursday, Feb 8, 24 @ 3:19 pm:

    You’d think working towards solving the Illinois public pension problem would be a better use of time and money than $500 tax credits.


  4. - JoanP - Thursday, Feb 8, 24 @ 3:25 pm:

    @ Steve,

    One does not preclude the other.


  5. - Give Us Barabbas - Thursday, Feb 8, 24 @ 3:28 pm:

    I can see it helping with an overnight hotel stay or something since they are traveling in from out of state


  6. - City Zen - Thursday, Feb 8, 24 @ 3:31 pm:

    $500 isn’t going to move the needle. The ones who were planning to move here anyway will now also get $500, so kudos to them. But no one’s making an interstate move decision based on a one-time small tax credit. Silly performative arts.

    Teachers coming from certain states could lose out bigly in the long run due to WEP too.

    Let’s go big. How about a $50,000 tax credit (payable over many years) for STEM/SPED teachers who come other states for jobs at downstate school districts. Let them live income tax free for many years, get them hooked on horseshoe, then they’ll never wanna leave.


  7. - JS Mill - Thursday, Feb 8, 24 @ 3:35 pm:

    =You’d think working towards solving the Illinois public pension problem would be a better use of time and money than $500 tax credits.=

    2011 would like a word with you. Tier 2 largely resolves the issue, so does paying ones bills.


  8. - Norseman - Thursday, Feb 8, 24 @ 4:03 pm:

    I like the idea, but agree the amount seems kinda low. Perhaps a deduction of moving expenses. Bringing taxpayers into the state is good. Besides, it would be fun watching the MAGA minds melt.


  9. - very old soil - Thursday, Feb 8, 24 @ 4:11 pm:

    If this story gets picked up by the MSM or goes viral, it will be great for marketing Illinois to recent college grads among others


  10. - DuPage Saint - Thursday, Feb 8, 24 @ 4:13 pm:

    How about a property tax rebate for all those that lived here all their lives Has the governor’s commission on property tax relief or reform issued it report yet?


  11. - Grandson of Man - Thursday, Feb 8, 24 @ 4:38 pm:

    The governor should support the concept and sign legislation that is promising. The MAGA Party (the GOP no longer exists) has moved so far to the right. It won’t be coming back to the 21st Century any time soon.


  12. - loyal virus - Friday, Feb 9, 24 @ 8:30 am:

    Outstanding idea and shame on anyone who can read Rep Cassidy and Nadine Smith’s words who call this ‘performative’. People are coming to Illinois with barely gas money to get here and every bit helps. Rights and human decency shouldn’t stop at state lines but here we are. Also did you really use the acronym ‘SPED’?


Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.


* Sunday roundup: Rep. Williams says no takeover; 'Guardrail' bill floated; More alderpersons sign letter; Biz weighs in; CTU president claims city pays the bills for 'every municipality in this state'; Progressive Caucus supports letter
* News coverage roundup: Entire Chicago Board of Education to resign (Updated x2)
* Mayor to announce school board appointments on Monday
* Reader comments closed for the weekend
* Isabel’s afternoon roundup
* Question of the day (Updated)
* Ahead of mass school board resignation, some mayoral opponents ask Pritzker to step in, but he says he has no legal authority (Updated x5)
* Governor’s office says Senate Republicans are “spreading falsehoods” with their calls for DCFS audit (Updated)
* Meanwhile… In Opposite Land
* Open thread
* Isabel’s morning briefing
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition and some campaign and court-related stuff
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today's edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
* Live coverage
* Selected press releases (Live updates)
* Yesterday's stories

Support CapitolFax.com
Visit our advertisers...

...............

...............

...............

...............

...............

...............


Loading


Main Menu
Home
Illinois
YouTube
Pundit rankings
Obama
Subscriber Content
Durbin
Burris
Blagojevich Trial
Advertising
Updated Posts
Polls

Archives
October 2024
September 2024
August 2024
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004

Blog*Spot Archives
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005

Syndication

RSS Feed 2.0
Comments RSS 2.0




Hosted by MCS SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax Advertise Here Mobile Version Contact Rich Miller