* Sen. Graciela Guzmán and Rep. Will Davis…
In partnership with teachers, advocates and public officials, State Senator Graciela Guzmán announced new legislation at a press conference this morning that would address the statewide pattern of underfunding education in Illinois, and a plan to fill existing gaps in investment.
“I know firsthand what it means to rely on public schools, not just for education, but for opportunity,” said Senator Guzmán (D-Chicago). “If we require our schools to provide them, the state has an obligation to fund them. At a time when the Trump administration is attacking education, this bill is a line in the sand. It is how we will face cuts with investment and face division with equity.”
Senate Bill 3701, sponsored by Guzmán, and House Bill 5409, sponsored by State Representative Will Davis, do two things. First, the proposals fix a current gap in school funding for what are called “mandated categoricals,” or programs and services the state requires but provides no resources for to school districts, such as transportation, nutrition, social work and counseling. Second, the proposals keep the state on track with the Evidence-Based Formula goal of ensuring all districts are adequately funded by 2027.
More from the Sun-Times…
The proposals don’t directly hike taxes, but Guzmán pointed to other proposals that would tax millionaires and digital advertising as a revenue stream for schools.
Davis also pointed to Gov. JB Pritzker’s announcement of a plan to pay off state pensions years earlier than previously promised, saying education should be put on the same level as pensions when it comes to state priorities.
“He’s prioritizing big sums of money in other areas,” Davis said about Pritzker. “The administration has a comfort level of where we’re at right now, but when we see those press releases, he’s prioritizing big sums of money into a lot of other areas. … In my conversations, they have a comfort level. We need to move out of that comfort zone.” […]
Pritzker didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Guzmán and Davis said they have yet to speak with the governor, but they have been in touch with members of his team.
And a bit more from Chalkbeat Chicago…
To do everything the legislation introduced Monday requires in 2027, the state would have to spend an additional $3.9 billion a year, Ralph Martire, the executive director of the think tank Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, said in an interview. The center is proposing a package of tax measures that would raise revenue, including expanding the sales tax base to include consumer services and increasing the income tax rate while providing tax relief to low- and middle-income households. Those two measures alone would raise enough revenue to provide the additional education funding in the Lewis and Guzmán bills and to address the state’s massive structural deficit, Martire said.
However, the state also faces $4.4 billion of added costs down the road if it chooses to fully offset safety net cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that Congress passed last year, the center has estimated.
* Sen. Don DeWitte…
Senator Don DeWitte (R-St. Charles) has introduced legislation to ensure Illinois park funding reaches the greatest number of children and families, particularly those with disabilities, without increasing costs to taxpayers.
Senate Bill 3016 updates the state’s Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) program to prioritize grant applications for park projects that exceed federal accessibility standards. When demand for OSLAD funding surpasses available dollars, projects designed for broader and more inclusive use would receive priority consideration. […]
The legislation builds on a measure originally sponsored by State Representative Nicole La Ha last year, which advanced the same accessibility-first approach. That bill was not called in the Senate before the end of the session. Senator DeWitte refiled the proposal this spring to continue advancing inclusive park design across Illinois.
Since its creation in 1986, the OSLAD program has distributed approximately $640 million for park acquisition and development throughout the state. SB 3016 does not alter the size of the funding pool. Instead, it directs the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to give greater consideration to projects that expand access for children and families of all abilities when reviewing grant applications. […]
Senate Bill 3016 reinforces Senator DeWitte’s commitment to fiscal responsibility, inclusion, and ensuring that public investments deliver the greatest possible benefit to Illinois families.
* The National Federation of Independent Business…
Senator Kimberly Lightford (District 4) and Representative Norma Hernandez (District 77) filed legislation to raise Illinois’ minimum wage to $27/hour.
SB 3821/HB 5367 would incrementally increase the statewide minimum wage, jumping to $17/hour on July 1, 2026. It would hit $27/hour on January 1, 2032, and then every year afterwards increase with the consumer price index.
The minimum wage would increase according to the following schedule:
– July 1, 2026: $17/hour
– January 1, 2028: $19/hour
– January 1, 2029: $21/hour
– January 1, 2030: $23/hour
– January 1, 2031: $25/hour
– January 1, 2032: $27/hour
– January 1, 2033, and all future years: Increase to match the consumer price index (capped at 2.5%)
“Many small businesses in Illinois are hanging on by a thread,” said NFIB Illinois State Director Noah Finley. “Illinois’ small business community is already struggling with the current minimum wage and paid-leave mandates. They can only raise their prices so much to offset these additional costs.”
The legislation would also phase out the tip credit and increase the minimum wage for employees under the age of 18 to align with the schedule outlined above.
If the unemployment rate hits 8.5%, the scheduled minimum wage hike would be suspended.
The legislation also permits uninjured special-interest groups to sue employers for alleged violations. These groups would be eligible to pocket 10% of any civil penalties, plus attorneys’ fees and expenses from employers.
* Chicago Bars…
Unlike past efforts, Rep. Dan Didech’s bill hinges on Missouri and Iowa. If they act, Illinois would drop daylight saving time immediately.
* Fox 2 Now…
House Bill 4948, introduced by Illinois Rep. Martha Deuter of the 45th District, would require drivers whose licenses have been revoked for consistent reckless driving to enroll in the Intelligent Speed Assistance Program if they receive a court order to do so.
Families for Safe Streets—the organization Deuter’s office says inspired the bill—explains that this program would use speed systems that would prevent a vehicle from exceeding the speed limit using maps, GPS and even cameras.
The proposed regulations would require anyone in the program to pay for the technology to be installed in every vehicle they own, unless otherwise specified by the court or the Zero Traffic Fatalities Task Force, which would oversee the program under this legislation.
If passed, the legislation would take effect on Jan. 1, 2027.
- City Zen - Tuesday, Feb 10, 26 @ 11:11 am:
==increasing the income tax rate while providing tax relief to low- and middle-income households.==
Lather, rinse, repeat, I guess.
Nothing has ever prevented the state from raising the flat income tax rate while increasing exemptions to offset the increase for lower incomes. The problem is folks don’t do nuance and I don’t think JB wants to labeled with a tax hike prior to 2028.
- Archpundit - Tuesday, Feb 10, 26 @ 11:31 am:
“I just want to be clear that this bill will not change the total number of daylight hours.” Then the legislator repeated the statement.
Name the legislator…
- Joseph M - Tuesday, Feb 10, 26 @ 11:43 am:
House Bill 4948 is a great idea. I imagine it would help reduce the constant upward pressure on auto insurance rates.
- Give Us Barabbas - Tuesday, Feb 10, 26 @ 11:43 am:
Looking at the proposal to equip a dangerous driver with technology to limit their reckless driving, similar to the BAID anti drunk driving ignition interlocks, I gotta wonder why we want to give up imposing consequences on these drivers and just trying to manage them, rather than simply banning them, the cheapest solution. It seems to me that better drivers ed programs could make everyone safer from the beginning, and more draconian penalties for first offenders would be more effective than trying to accommodate them without reforming them.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Feb 10, 26 @ 12:39 pm:
===Nothing has ever prevented the state from raising the flat income tax rate while increasing exemptions to offset the increase for lower incomes===
“The standard personal exemption is calculated using the basic exemption amount of $2,050 plus the cost-of-living adjustment. For tax year beginning January 1, 2025, it is $2,850 per exemption”
https://tax.illinois.gov/questionsandanswers/answer.851.html
Our standard exemptions are so low because the constitution requires a flat tax rate.
So, maybe don’t rely on your own research.
- Sue - Tuesday, Feb 10, 26 @ 1:04 pm:
Rich- The State easily could lower the AGI where the exemptions are no longer available if it wants to raise additional revenue- same with the credits for RE tax - there are lots of ways to raise revenues without raising the current flat rate- doubt most people would even notice
- JS Mill - Tuesday, Feb 10, 26 @ 1:45 pm:
Let the record show that @Sue favors raising taxes.
- Steve - Tuesday, Feb 10, 26 @ 2:07 pm:
The Lightford minimum wage bill would make it illegal to hire a high school dropout , without work experience, for less than $19/hour in 2029! What a restraint of trade in the labor market. It’s almost as if some people haven’t heard of artificial intelligence.
- City Zen - Tuesday, Feb 10, 26 @ 2:57 pm:
==Our standard exemptions are so low because the constitution requires a flat tax rate.==
The standard personal exemption was $1,000 when the state income tax rate was only 2.5%. So there is plenty of room for a much larger exemption based on historical taxation.
This was Quinn’s baby years ago. He’s the one that got the inflation adjustment implemented.
==The State easily could lower the AGI where the exemptions are no longer available if it wants to raise additional revenue==
True. The state already blocks out the personal exemption and property tax credit above $250k/$500k AGI. That might be a tough sell.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Feb 10, 26 @ 3:04 pm:
===So there is plenty of room for a much larger exemption based on historical taxation.===
Not to the point where it becomes even close to progressive.
- Sue - Tuesday, Feb 10, 26 @ 4:41 pm:
If the exemptions were eliminated at 150k single and 300 Joint or 100/200 that seems fairly progressive and it would raise a good amount of tax revenues
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Feb 10, 26 @ 4:55 pm:
===If the exemptions were eliminated at 150k single and 300 Joint===
You’re not paying attention. You’d have to change the constitution to do that. No way does that fly.
“A tax on or measured by income shall be at a
non-graduated rate.”