Government Affairs Roundup
“Your Timely Roundup of Local, State, and Federal Updates”
Chamber members:
The Illinois House and Senate return to session this week facing a key third-reading deadline on Friday. Lawmakers are working to advance bills to the opposite chamber, setting up a busy stretch in Springfield.
The House got an early start, passing 133 bills last week alone. Budget hearings are also underway, with the state’s education department requesting $10.9 billion in funding – more on that below.
As session ramps up, both chambers began moving less controversial measures, though without the typical late-night floor action (so far). The House advanced 52 bills, while the Senate passed 12.
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Bills of Note Passing Out of House
House Bill 3564 prohibits landlords from charging fees of more than $50 for applications, background checks, modifying a lease, making after-hours maintenance requests or pest abatement or removal, so long as the renter didn’t cause the issue.
House Bill 4339, also known as the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. Young Voter Empowerment Act, would require high schools to offer eligible students the opportunity to register to vote.
According to a Tufts study released in April 2025, 41% of Illinoisans aged 18-29 voted in the 2024 presidential election. Nationally, Illinois ranks on the lower end for voters participating from that age group, with Minnesota at the highest at 62% and Oklahoma at the lowest with 33%.
House Bill 45 would require retail merchants to provide digital promotions or coupons to any eligible customers.
House Bill 4592, the Retail Cash Payment Act, would require most stores and establishments in the state to accept cash as a form of payment, excluding transactions done at self-checkout stations and online.
Violators of the law would first receive a written notice and would then escalate, beginning at no more than $50 for a first offense, $100 for a second, and $500 for each additional offense within 12 months of the first.
House Bill 5093 would change the requirements necessary to receive in-state tuition rates, removing language requiring students to have lived in the state while attending high school and not have been a resident of a different state before attending a state university.
To be eligible, students will still be required to spend two years at and receive a diploma from an in-state high school.
House Bill 228, or the Junk Fee Ban Act, would make it illegal for businesses to advertise items at a specific price without also including all fees and surcharges related to the purchase within the advertised price. The bill specifically carves out tips and any taxes or fees imposed by the government.
The bill specifically lists a number of different services it aims to impact, including food delivery platforms and hotels. It would also apply to internet, cable and phone service providers, among others.
Illinoi Education Officials Submit Budget Request of $10.9 Billion for Public School Funding
State education officials are making the case for a $10.9 billion investment in Illinois public schools next fiscal year, pointing to measurable gains under the state’s decade-old funding formula — while also facing renewed questions about property tax relief.
Testifying before a House budget committee this week, Tony Sanders said the Illinois State Board of Education’s FY2027 request reflects a targeted approach in a tight fiscal climate. Although the topline figure is $278.5 million lower than the current year, that drop is largely due to the transfer of early childhood block grants to a new state agency. Adjusted for that shift, the proposal represents a $469.7 million increase for core preK-12 funding.
“We prioritized the most crucial funding streams and those investments that will have the most direct impact on student success,” Sanders told lawmakers.
A central piece of the request is the continued investment in the state’s Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) formula, now entering its 10th year. The model was designed to direct more state resources to underfunded districts while easing reliance on local property taxes. Since its adoption in 2017, state spending on public education has climbed from $8.2 billion to nearly $11.2 billion.
According to Steven Isoye, that investment is beginning to show results. Graduation rates have reached a 15-year high, student growth has surpassed pre-pandemic levels, and achievement gaps are narrowing. He also noted that Illinois eighth graders now outperform national averages in reading and math.
The funding formula sets “adequacy targets” for each district — benchmarks based on factors like enrollment, poverty levels, and English learner populations — and prioritizes funding for those furthest from meeting them. Over the past decade, the number of districts funded at or above 90% adequacy has grown from 194 to 313 out of 851 statewide.
ISBE’s proposal includes the full $350 million increase called for under the EBF law, along with additional funding for transportation and other mandated costs that fall outside the formula. That request, however, exceeds the proposal put forward by Governor JB Pritzker, whose budget omits property tax relief grants for the second consecutive year.
Governor Pritzker has said he remains committed to addressing disparities in local school funding but questioned whether the current grant structure is effective. “We’ve got to figure out how to do that better,” he said at a March news conference.
Republican lawmakers pressed that issue during the hearing, asking why increased state funding has not translated into lower property taxes. Rep. Blaine Wilhour pointed out that many districts are nearing or have reached full funding targets and questioned why taxpayers have not seen relief.
Sanders responded that while progress has been made, many districts still fall short of adequacy. He also noted that rising costs in areas like transportation and special education — where state reimbursement often covers only a portion — continue to shift financial pressure onto local taxpayers.
The appropriations committee took no action on the proposal. Lawmakers are expected to finalize school funding levels as part of broader budget negotiations before the legislative session adjourns May 31.
SNAP Deadline Looms as Advocates Push for State Action
With a key deadline approaching, advocates are warning that thousands of Illinois residents could soon lose access to food assistance — and they’re urging lawmakers to act quickly.
On April 14, members of the Save Our SNAP coalition gathered at the Illinois State Capitol, calling on legislators to pass protections for the nearly 2 million Illinoisans who rely on SNAP benefits. The push comes ahead of potential federal cuts tied to the so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill,” which could impact up to 250,000 Illinois families as early as May 1.
“SNAP doesn’t just help families find their next meal; it also strengthens our local economies,” said Rob Karr. “Retailers, especially grocers, depend on SNAP purchases. These cuts will hurt both small businesses and the customers they serve.”
The coalition — made up of more than 85 organizations — is backing a three-part legislative response aimed at offsetting the potential loss of federal aid:
- FRESH Program: Proposed in both chambers, this measure would provide a one-time $600 emergency payment to roughly 250,000 Illinois residents at risk of losing SNAP benefits.
- Food Assistance for Lawfully Present Immigrants: This proposal would expand eligibility under Illinois’ existing VTTC program, which supports immigrants and survivors of trafficking and other serious crimes. An estimated 16,000 people could be affected by federal cuts in this category.
- SNAP Response Working Group: A proposed task force would help the state prepare for longer-term risks, including the possibility that Illinois could be required to cover up to $800 million in SNAP costs by 2027 if federal funding shifts further to states.
Coalition member Skyler Larrimore emphasized the urgency of both short- and long-term solutions. “Hunger is a policy choice, and in Illinois we believe in choosing better,” Larrimore said in a statement.
The urgency is compounded by recent changes to SNAP eligibility that took effect earlier this year. As of February 1, expanded federal work requirements now apply to a broader group of recipients. Previously, work rules primarily affected “able-bodied adults without dependents” ages 18–54. Now, those requirements extend to:
- Adults age 55–64 without disabilities
- Some parents whose children are age 14 or older
- Individuals experiencing homelessness
- Veterans
Starting May 1, individuals who have received SNAP benefits for three months but have not met — or are not exempt from — the new work requirements will lose assistance.
Lawmakers face mounting pressure to act before the May 1 deadline, as both immediate benefit losses and longer-term funding uncertainties threaten food access across the state.
Ethanol Push: Governor Urges Year-Round E15 Sales
Governor JB Pritzker is calling on Congress to make it easier to sell higher-ethanol gasoline year-round, arguing the move would provide much-needed relief to farmers facing economic pressure.
In a letter sent last Thursday to federal lawmakers overseeing energy policy, Governor Pritzker urged swift action to permanently allow nationwide sales of E15 — a fuel blend made up of 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline. He argued that the current system of temporary federal waivers creates uncertainty for producers and markets alike.
“I respectfully urge you to support legislation that ensures the permanent, nationwide availability of year-round E15,” Pritzker wrote, adding that the change would “provide certainty to the market, strengthen rural economies, and reinforce America’s commitment to domestic energy production.”
Pritzker pointed to growing strain on Illinois farmers, citing tariffs, global instability, and rising input costs as key challenges. Those factors, he said, are making it harder for farmers to compete in export markets.
Expanding year-round E15 sales, he argued, would help offset those pressures by increasing demand for ethanol, creating new markets for corn, and offering farmers greater economic stability.
DHS Shutdown Drags On
The Department of Homeland Security has now been shut down for 59 days, with Republican leaders set to meet today in an effort to chart a path toward reopening the agency.
At the center of those discussions are John Thune and Mike Johnson, who will convene for their regular weekly meeting as pressure mounts from Donald Trump’s June 1 deadline. The President has called on Republicans to pass a party-line reconciliation bill that would restore funding for key immigration enforcement efforts within DHS.
Thune signaled earlier this week that he plans to pursue a narrowly tailored approach — described as an “anorexic” bill — focused specifically on funding Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol. The strategy is aimed at sidestepping Democratic opposition while avoiding the kind of prolonged internal disputes Republicans faced during last year’s sweeping tax legislation. But even that scaled-back plan is encountering resistance within the GOP.
Several Senate Republicans have already raised objections or sought to expand the scope of the bill. Rick Scott is pushing for spending cuts to offset any new enforcement funding, while Tommy Tuberville has called for adding defense spending and other party priorities. Meanwhile, John Kennedy has argued that elements of a Republican-backed elections bill should be included in the package.
Tensions are also building in the House, where some conservative members are advocating for a broader approach. Rather than limiting the bill to immigration enforcement, they want to use the reconciliation process to fund the entire Department of Homeland Security — a move that would bypass the Senate filibuster.
Among the most vocal critics is Chip Roy, who has pushed back on Thune’s narrower proposal. In a post on X, Roy dismissed the plan as too limited and urged leadership to incorporate a wider range of priorities, arguing that time is running short to deliver results.
Despite the internal divisions, Senate Republican leaders appear poised to move ahead. Lindsey Graham, who chairs the Senate Budget Committee, is expected to release a fiscal framework for the reconciliation package as soon as today. According to reports, Graham may bypass the committee approval process altogether and bring the budget resolution directly to the Senate floor as early as next week.
At the same time, Susan Collins, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, acknowledged her panel has been providing technical guidance on the proposal while expressing frustration over the breakdown of the traditional bipartisan funding process.
“It obviously would have been better if we came up with a bipartisan compromise,” Collins said Monday.
With the shutdown nearing two months and divisions within the party unresolved, the path forward remains uncertain as Republican leaders work to unify their approach under mounting time pressure.
Stay well,
Mike Paone
Executive Vice President
Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry
mpaone@jolietchamber.com
815.727.5371 main
815.727.5373 direct