STATE CAPITOL RALLY
Earlier this week in Springfield, I was honored to participate in the Right to LIFE Rally at the State Capitol. I will continue to fight for the rights of unborn children against abortion in Illinois. Thank you to the thousands who came out and had your voices heard!
AROUND THE DISTRICT
IDOT has announced that road construction is underway on Route 116 through Pontiac. The work zone will be from Ewing Drive just west of Interstate 55 to the bridge over the Vermilion River and will include the section of Illinois 116 shared with Old Route 66.
Work includes road patching, milling and resurfacing, reconstructing ADA sidewalk ramps and curbs, traffic signal repairs, and drainage repairs. There also will be improvements to the intersection of Illinois 116 and Old Route 66. One lane will be open in each direction during the $7.2 million project, which is anticipated to be complete by November.
Work on Illinois 116 in Pontiac underway
AGRICULTURE
The Illinois Soybean Association is now accepting project proposals for FY ’26. Completed proposals should be submitted no later than May 1. Learn more here: Request for Proposals | Illinois Soybean Association
GARDENING
With warmer weather on the way, we’re all tempted to start spring cleaning around the yard. However, experts suggest holding off a little longer to help pollinators and wildlife. When should I clean up my garden? Illinois Extension has answers: | WCIA.com
EDUCATION
Last week, Democrats passed the Homeschool Act through the House Education Policy Committee despite the fact that the measure had nearly 50,000 witness slips filed in opposition. The bill’s sponsor claims the intention is to protect children from abuse but there is no evidence of a connection between homeschooling and abuse or neglect.
We believe homeschool families should be able to educate their children in the environment that best suits their learning needs, without overregulation from state government.
FRAUD
An investigation has revealed 41 state employees are suspected of ripping off the PPP program of more than $900,000 in loans. PPP fraud among 41 Illinois employees is pegged at more than $900,000 – Chicago Sun-Times
CRIMINAL LAW
House Republicans lead fight against human trafficking with legislative proposals. House Republican lawmakers presented their legislative proposals at a Capitol press conference last week to bring light to human trafficking and the impact it has throughout Illinois. With Illinois ranking among the top ten nationwide for human trafficking cases, State Representatives Nicole La Ha, Jennifer Sanalitro, and Dennis Tipsword discussed the importance of putting forth viable solutions.
State Representative Dennis Tipsword provided insight into the importance of working with law enforcement in the fight to end human trafficking, which for him means holding criminals accountable and protecting some of the state’s youngest and most vulnerable residents.
“These predators are drawn to sexual exploitation, financial gain, and illegal business practices, and we have to do everything in our power to keep them off our streets,” said Rep. Tipsword, who also serves as Chief Deputy at the Woodford County Sheriff’s Office. “Human trafficking represents a massive public safety issue, and victims can be lured by violence, manipulation, romance, and false financial promises.”
Tipsword spoke about an incident near his district earlier this year, when the Illinois State Police arrested six men for human trafficking crimes in Bloomington. These crimes included commercial sex acts, solicitation to meet a child, and grooming. It took a very large and coordinated effort to handle these arrests, with the local police, the county sheriff’s office, the Illinois State Police, the Department of Children and Family Services, the State’s Attorney’s Office and others all involved.
“Law enforcement will continue to face challenges going forward, and with the internet and social media, the pathways for predators to lure women, children and other vulnerable populations are numerous,” continued Tipsword.
Tipsword and House Republican members will continue to back efforts to put a stop to human trafficking and move their bills through the legislative process.
BUDGET
Three-year CGFA budget forecast. The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (CGFA) has looked at the State’s long-term trends to get a medium-term forecast of Illinois’ economic prospects.
The new CGFA report, “Three-Year Budget Forecast: FY26 – FY28,” generates a relatively cautious, and to some extent pessimistic, look at Illinois’ medium-term prospects. Working with professional economic forecasters, CGFA looked at State spending growth patterns and revenue projections for FY26, FY27, and FY28. This is a three-year period that will continue from the summer of 2025 until June 30, 2028.
The three-year CGFA budget forecast makes clear that the State of Illinois’ “structural deficit,” the pattern of locked-in spending that exceeds available general fund revenues, not only dominates the State’s fiscal picture in FY25 but can be extended to continue through FY26. The results of their findings are set forth in a table on page 14 of the March 2025 report. Based on the accounting principles adopted by CGFA and its economic advisors, in FY25 Illinois general funds tax revenues will fall $277 million short of the anticipated FY25 general funds spending mandated by the General Assembly and Gov. Pritzker in the FY25 State budget.
Furthermore, CGFA sees this structural deficit as worsening over time. Over the past 20 years, State spending has increased at an average annual rate of 4.1%. However, current State tax revenue trends show a growth rate in State revenues coming in that is well below 4.1%/year. As a result of State revenues falling further and further short of expected State spending over this three-year period, the CGFA three-year projection sees Illinois’ “structural deficit” rising dramatically in FY26, FY27, and FY28. All these numbers are CGFA projections set forth in the chart on page 14 of the March 2025 report:
Projected FY25 deficit $ 277 million
Projected FY26 deficit $1,877 million
Projected FY27 deficit $3,199 million
Projected FY28 deficit $4,323 million
The CGFA report does not claim that Illinois’ fiscal status is doomed. Dramatic action, taken right now, could balance the budget. Restricting the growth in State general funds spending to a nearly flat growth rate of 1.2%, in line with austerity policies routinely imposed in the private sector when cash flows are falling short, could produce a genuinely balanced budget as soon as FY27. This alternative 1.2% chart, also published by CGFA, represents a viable path forward:
Projected FY25 deficit $ 277 million
Projected FY26 deficit $ 320 million
Projected FY27 deficit $ 2 million
Projected FY28 surplus $ 599 million