The 2026 Spring Session wrapped up just after 4:00am on Monday. Here’s what you should know.
The 2027 Spring Session is in the books! The last 24 hours of session proved to be the busiest as bills passed between the House and Senate quickly. We finalized many impactful pieces of legislation, including the FY2027 budget and budget implementation bills, and a revenue omnibus bill which implements $800 million in new tax schemes on fantasy sports, Illinois businesses, social media companies and more. See my budget statement below for my thoughts on these bills.
We voted on a one-year delay of the implementation of the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act, which was passed two years ago, but is under litigation. We increased the state’s bonding capacity. We passed a bill to fix when people lose the equity in their homes when their taxes are sold, to be compliant with recent federal court cases. E-bikes will face new regulations, and rideshare drivers will be able to unionize. The Senate did not take up the House’s previous statewide economic development bill for megaprojects, but the Senate did pass a new bill related to the Chicago Bears project. The House did not take up that bill, as it was all just done in such a rush in the last hours.
The Governor’s proposal to enact sweeping housing legislation which would have taken zoning control from local communities did not pass, but I’m sure we haven’t heard the last of that proposal. The Governor had also proposed to pause the datacenter tax credit program, and that did not get done. The POWER Act, which would have regulated datacenters did not get through either.
I am pleased to report that I passed five bills (see article below) and one joint resolution (Tommy N. Miller Memorial Highway) this year. I was also able to work with both Lewis & Clark Community College and the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center to secure some important budget line items for them. I’m pleased that we made changes to the pending high school foreign language mandate, as I had been working on that topic for over three years. (See article and my floor comments below).
There was so much more that we did, some good, and some bad. I am disappointed that the majority leaders did not give attention to property tax relief and other tax relief. While the six-month delay in the July 1st gas tax increase passed, it will have a miniscule effect on our household budgets. I would have liked to see more tax relief and lower government spending, but the majority party had the votes to pass what they wanted, and they chose not to do widespread tax relief.
It was honestly a pretty calm session, except for one crazy week in April, where constitutional amendments were debated (but did not pass). Then this last 24 hours was intense and tiring, but overall I felt that things were better than last year. I credit the House Democrats Chief of Staff for keeping the trains running as best as he could (until they went off the rails at the end). We are not scheduled to return to Springfield until after the November election, but that could always change if a special session is called.
Thank you for all your emails, phone calls, visits and messages this year as we debated bills and policy. I am grateful to have so many engaged and thoughtful constituents! See you soon!
Amy
Why I Voted No on the FY27 Budget
The spring legislative session has ended, and the FY27 budget ignores Illinois’ most pressing problems: out-of-control government spending and the rising cost of living. Instead of providing relief for families in my district, this budget adds $800 million in new taxes on various industries. The revenue bill even includes new digital ad taxes that Illinois will likely be sued over. Our priorities to lower property taxes and other taxes were not met, in fact this budget just adds to their burden.
Five Bills Head to the Governor
State Senator Erica Harriss and I were proud to pass five bills through the House and Senate.
Good legislation does not always have to be complicated. Sometimes it’s about solving everyday problems and improving public safety. These bills will help local governments operate more efficiently, improve emergency response efforts, and bring awareness to health issues that affect many families across the state.
Senate Bill 2102 allows for a taxing district’s budget and appropriation ordinance and estimate of revenues to be filed electronically.
Senate Bill 3951 lets local governments place pavement markers to mark the location of a fire hydrant or water supply.
House Bill 4867 allows for additional work vehicles to use green (along with amber and white) flashing or rotating lights. This will help protect workers and motorists by making active work zones easier to identify and navigate safely.
House Bill 4868 updates the Nursing Home Care Act to clarify reporting requirements when something serious happens in a nursing home.
House Bill 4934 creates a sickle cell disease awareness license plate decal and sets up a special fund to support sickle cell programs.
Read More from RiverBender.com
Good News from Springfield
We passed SB3070, which will allow high school career and technical education courses to be counted as credit for the upcoming school mandate requiring two years of foreign language classes. I hope this bill will allow more students to explore educational routes that are interesting to them and lead to more job opportunities!
Events This Summer
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See you around!
I’m excited to be home from Springfield and will be out and about throughout the district this summer. I hope to see you soon!