Just in time for Tax Day, Senate Republicans rolled out a legislative package aimed at lowering everyday costs for Illinois families by cutting taxes on essential items and expanding access to preschool and childcare.
The package includes proposals to eliminate state sales taxes on prescription medications and diapers, create tax credits to help families afford preschool, support early childhood educators, and encourage businesses to expand childcare options. Senate Republicans said the relief package builds on ongoing efforts to address the affordability pressures facing working families across Illinois.
“Tax Day is a reminder that too many Illinois families are already stretched thin,” said Senate Republican Deputy Leader Sue Rezin (R-Morris). “This package is focused on lowering costs, supporting working parents, and making Illinois more affordable from the start.”
The first bill in the package, Senate Bill 1647, creates a tax credit of up to $1,500 per child for taxpayers who enroll their child in an eligible preschool program in Illinois. The measure is intended to make early education more affordable and help parents remain in the workforce.
“Preschool costs can be a major barrier for families,” Rezin said. “This credit would help make high-quality early education more accessible and affordable.”
The package also includes Senate Bill 1646, which creates a refundable $1,000 tax credit for qualified early childhood educators, with annual increases tied to inflation after the first year. The proposal is designed to improve retention in a field that is essential to maintaining access to childcare and preschool services.
“If we want families to have access to childcare, we have to support the educators who make it possible,” Rezin said. “This proposal would help strengthen that workforce.”
In addition to preschool and childcare relief, Senator Hills introduced additional legislation that aims to bring relief to the cost of basic necessities for families. Senate Bills 3851 and 3869 would remove state sales taxes on prescription medications and diapers, reducing costs for families, seniors, and individuals with medical needs.
“I filed this legislation because families are already stretched thin and should not be paying taxes on necessities like diapers and prescription medications,” said Senator Hills (R-Barrington Hills). “These are everyday costs that families cannot avoid, yet many are struggling to afford. This is about affordability for families and making sure working parents can meet basic needs at home.”
Senator Hills also filed Senate Bill 2382, which creates a tax credit for donating property for on-site childcare, and Senate Bill 2277, which increases tax credits for businesses that provide childcare. Under Senate Bill 2277, the start-up credit would increase from 30 percent to 50 percent, and the ongoing expense credit would increase from 5 percent to 20 percent. Together, the bills are aimed at expanding childcare options for working families.
“When childcare is available and affordable, it helps families and employers alike,” Hills said. “These bills are designed to expand access and create more options for working parents.”
Senate Republicans say that for too many working families, Illinois is becoming increasingly unaffordable. This package is aimed at lowering some of the everyday costs that make it harder to raise a family, stay in the workforce, and get ahead.
- low level - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 8:50 am:
So Rezin has no idea what the fiscal impact of those bills will be and wont tell us what she would cut to make up for the lost revenue. Typical Republican.
- Norseman - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 9:00 am:
My response to Sen. Rezin is that there is a broken concept in the MAGA GOP that government services taxpayers need can be paid for by the hot air of pandering politicians hot air.
- Scoot - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 9:02 am:
The Senate Republicans sound like a broken record year after year. High taxes, unaffordable, people are fleeing the state…if this were true why are these Senate Republicans still residing in Illinois?
- Pundent - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 9:06 am:
It’s not a bad idea. But every good idea has to be funded with either new revenue or cuts to existing programs. Telling a journalist they’re asking the wrong question doesn’t change that basic reality. And not acknowledging that is the epitome of the status quo that Rezin is criticizing.
- twowaystreet - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 9:14 am:
Window dressing ideas.
The lack of childcare services is a big problem. I’m not convinced that creating a tax credit for donating property will solve much. It has to be a perfect storm of interested parties lining up, which I think would be rare. You’d need a property owner who is looking to offload the property and is still likely taking a hefty loss on the initial investment. Also, an interested party to buy the property with the intent to set up a daycare. That person would need the financial resources to navigate the lengthy licensing and approval process. And all that would need to happen in an area where a childcare facility is needed.
I’ve become really skeptical of all tax credits. It’s not that there wouldn’t be some small benefit, but it never addresses the root of the problem, and, frankly, they tend to only help corporations that were already going to set up shop regardless of the tax credit’s existence. Most small business owners have no idea that most tax credits they are eligible for exist.
- Johnny B - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 9:16 am:
Sue Rezin doesn’t know only Democrats are allowed to pass unfunded mandates in Illinois.
- Casper The Ghost Bus - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 9:17 am:
Any of the Republicans have anything to say about Trump’s thoughts on child care/day care and how states should have to raise taxes to pay for it becuase the federal government is busy fighting wars?
“We can’t take care of day care. You got to let a state take care of day care. And they should pay for it, too. They should pay. They have to raise their taxes, but they should pay for it. And we could lower our taxes a little bit to them to make up. But we, It’s not possible for us to take care of day care, Medicaid, Medicare, all these individual things. They can do it on a state basis, you can’t do it on a federal,” Trump continued.
- Root causes - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 9:17 am:
Higher wages would help struggling families more than lower taxes.
That said, I would support higher taxes on the wealthy (not on the working classes) to pay for many of the programs the IL Senate GOP proposes.
- It's always Sunny in Illinois - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 9:24 am:
‘There is a broken concept in Springfield that the taxpayers’ money belongs to the government”
Both sides can make their arguments here……but she’s not wrong in the premise of the Springfield/Chicago concept
- Homebody - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 9:44 am:
Rezin used a lot of words to answer a question “no”
- Candy Dogood - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 9:45 am:
===There is a broken concept in Springfield that the taxpayers’ money belongs to the government.===
Who is the Government, Sue?
- JS Mill - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 9:49 am:
@Casper The Ghost Bus lays bare the hollowness and hypocrisy of the ILGOP proposals when it comes to child care and andything education related. If they really want to help working families, fully restore SNAP benefits and bring down the price of gas. That can happen without legislation and will have an immediate impact.
=Sue Rezin doesn’t know only Democrats are allowed to pass unfunded mandates in Illinois.=
LOL. Sure jan.