Urgency for Illinois State Senators as Friday Deadline Looms
The deadline to pass substantive bills out of committee is fast approaching. Lawmakers in both the Senate and the House have until Friday, March 21st, to move bills out of a substantive committee. Because of this deadline, I am predicting very long days this week at the Capitol.
More than 2,000 Senate Bills and 4,000 House Bills have been filed in the General Assembly since it began its work in January. A majority of these bills are unlikely to advance before the upcoming deadline.
Lawmakers do have the option to file an extension request for legislation if it isn’t called before March 21st, but it historically becomes much more difficult to pass a bill into law if it doesn’t pass out of committee before this significant deadline.
Wilcox Welcomes Best and Brightest for Spring Youth Advisory Council
Last week I welcomed about 50 students from high schools across the 32nd District for my Spring 2025 Youth Advisory Council. The bright students were incredibly engaged as they took a bill idea they generated at a session last fall and moved their “bill” through a mock committee hearing process. This year’s bill idea related to having mandatory Student Resource Officers in schools.
Prior to the role-playing, which included students assigned as Senate Republicans, Senate Democrats, Lobbyists both in favor and against the bill, citizens providing testimony, and the media, the group heard from four professional speakers who talked about their roles in the public sector and their involvement with school resource officers in this region. All four really connected with the students!
Students heard from Regional Superintendent of Schools for McHenry County Diana Hartmann, District 124 Superintendent Christine Sefcik, Woodstock Chief of Police John Lieb, and Naperville Police Detective Richard Wistocki, who trains school resource officers.
My Youth Advisory Council grows in popularity every year and I can’t wait to assemble a new group of kids this fall! Click here to view a short video of last week’s activity at the YAC.
Illinois Now Highest Taxed State in the Nation
Illinois is now the highest-taxed state in the country, according to WalletHub’s latest annual study on state tax rates. The negative distinction highlights the growing financial strain on Illinois families and job creators.
The report compares all 50 states and the District of Columbia across four key tax categories: real estate, vehicle property, income, and sales excise taxes. Illinois placed 51st overall, with 50th for real estate taxes and 47th for income taxes, making it the most burdensome state for residents and small businesses alike.
Illinois’ real estate tax rate is nearly 8%, second only to New Jersey, far above the national average. The study also found Illinois’ taxes are 51.8% higher than the U.S. average, with New York as the next closest at 34.9%. In contrast, states like Alaska, Delaware, and Wyoming impose the lowest taxes, creating more favorable conditions for families and job creators.
Additionally, WalletHub’s national survey revealed that 70% of Americans are more concerned about inflation than taxes, and nearly one-third would rather serve on jury duty than file their taxes. For Illinois families and entrepreneurs, these high tax rates exacerbate the state’s ongoing economic and fiscal challenges.
Illinois continues to face the highest tax burden in the nation, sparking ongoing discussions about how to address the impact on the state’s economic future.
Controversial Bill Could Legalize Attacks on Police
My Senate Republican colleagues and I are sounding the alarm over House Bill 3458, a controversial proposal that could effectively legalize assaulting police officers by allowing individuals to use mental health crises as a defense. We believe that if passed, this legislation could embolden criminals to attack officers with fewer consequences, making law enforcement’s already dangerous job even riskier.
While proponents argue the bill is designed to protect those in mental distress, opponents see it as a dangerous loophole that weakens accountability. The bill applies only to police officers, not other first responders, raising concerns about fairness and potential exploitation. Additionally, critics argue that judges already have the discretion to consider mental health in sentencing, making this bill unnecessary.
Police officers risk their lives to protect communities, and this bill sends a reckless message that assaulting law enforcement could come with fewer consequences. Senate Republicans are calling for a reevaluation of the proposal, urging lawmakers to prioritize officer safety and public protection.
Homeschooling Oversight Bill Draws Widespread Attention in Illinois
Proposed legislation known as the Homeschool Act, which aims to impose unnecessary mandates homeschooling families, is generating a lot of controversy from state lawmakers and the public.
House Bill 2827 requires parents to meet certain educational qualifications, notify school districts when homeschooling begins, and provide evidence of teaching materials if concerns arise. It also extends registration requirements to private schools.
The legislation’s new regulations on homeschooling would unnecessarily complicate and restrict the freedom of parents to educate their children according to their values, needs, and beliefs. This bill has generated significant controversy, and thousands of homeschool families have come to Springfield to lobby against the bill.
The Homeschool Act has been assigned to the House Education Policy Committee, and a committee hearing scheduled for last week was abruptly canceled. As of this writing, just under 30,000 witness slips have been filed in opposition to the bill, while just 679 slips have been filed in support of it.
If you have strong feelings about Democrats’ efforts (every sponsor on the bill is a Democrat) to infringe on parents’ autonomy when it comes to their decision to homeschool their kids, you can click here to file a witness slip.
Funds Still Available for Volunteer Emergency Worker Credit
I recently learned there is still money available in the Volunteer Emergency Worker Tax Credit Fund for this year.
The Volunteer Emergency Worker Credit was created in 2023 to provide financial relief to firefighters who have answered the call to serve their communities on a volunteer basis. The credit is worth up to $500 and can be used to reduce an individual’s income tax liability. The yearly allocation for the fund is $5 million, and credits are given on a first come first served basis.
If you are a volunteer emergency worker that meets the following criteria, I would encourage you to apply for this credit without delay. You qualify if you are:
- An individual who serves as a member, on a non-full-time career basis, of a fire department, fire protection district, or fire protection association that has been issued a State Fire Marshal Identification Number (SFMID) by the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM). Additionally, the applicant must not serve on a full-time career basis for another fire department, fire protection district, fire protection association, or government entity.
- An individual is a volunteer member of a county or municipal emergency services and disaster agency and have completed at least 100 volunteer hours during the calendar year for which they are applying. These volunteers must receive an EMA Identification Number from Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and Office of Homeland Security (OHS).
If you meet these criteria, you can click here to submit the form. Additionally, you can click here to learn more about this this tax credit program.