Education, Taxes, Affordability- Democrats Refuse to Address Kitchen Table Issues

AFFORDABILITY/TAXES

Miller Slams Democrat Tax Hikes and Refusal to Lower the Cost of Living for Illinois Families.

JB Pritzker and the radical Democrats have done absolutely nothing to lower the cost of living for Illinois families. Taxpayer funds have been wasted on illegal immigrants, pork projects, and NGOs last year, and I bet we will see the Democrats double-down this year on their policies they claim to be helping Illinois families. We have already heard about more tax hikes being proposed including a grocery bag tax that would impose a 10-cent per bag tax in 2027, 15 cents in 2028, 20 cents in 2029, and 25 cents in 2030.

So far this session, we have accomplished nothing that benefits the taxpayers of Illinois. Democrats wasted time and money complaining about President Trump on the House floor while working behind closed doors to craft legislation that makes everyday life harder for working families.

We have kitchen table issues that are driving families and businesses out of our state and Pritzker is more concerned about taking care of illegal immigrants and funding shady non-profit organizations that promote radical agendas.

House and Senate legislators will be in Springfield at the same time for the first time this week, when Governor Pritzker is slated to deliver his combined State of the State and Budget Address.

Massive new motor fuel, electricity tax proposed for "Climate Change Superfund"

Not content with existing taxes levied on Illinoisans, many progressive Democrats are taking the opportunity created by the spring 2026 session to fight to create new ones. One of the largest proposed new tax bills is HB 4773 from Democratic Rep. Robyn Gabel. This measure would create what the sponsor calls a "Climate Change Superfund." Taxes would be levied from parties guilty of what is called "liability for climate change." The money would then be paid directly to a new special State fund and program, which would make payouts to "projects that directly benefit disadvantaged communities facing climate change."

Although the wording of HB 4773 is coy about who would pay the taxes used to makes these public-sector grants, the terms and conditions of the proclaimed "liability" are aimed directly at fossil fuels. Liable parties would include oil refiners, electric utilities that burn coal and natural gas to generate electric power, and natural gas utilities. These business firms could be pronounced "liable" for climate change. They would then be forced to extract money from their customers to be paid over into the new Climate Change Superfund.

While traditional tax policy requires the passage of a law in the Illinois General Assembly, the money to be raised by this proposal if it were to become law would be charged as a bill against the "liable" parties by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). The IEPA, a state agency, would charge the tax not by passing a law, but by adopting an administrative rule. Voters opposed to this new tax would not have the right to vote against anyone responsible for it. It should be noted that the imposition of massive new taxes by British administrative action was one of the key points raised by Thomas Jefferson in the text of the Declaration of Independence, adopted 250 years ago this year.

EDUCATION

School scholarship tax credit on the ballot in more than 20 Illinois counties. One of the issues before the Illinois House and Senate in spring 2026 will be the question of enabling Illinois taxpayers to enjoy eligibility for a new federal tax credit. A major change to federal tax law, enacted in 2025 thanks to President Trump, authorizes eligible taxpayers to utilize an income tax credit for money they donate to an approved educational scholarship foundation. The federal law creates a dollar-for-dollar income tax credit, generating potential benefits for taxpayers and Illinois schools alike, but full enjoyment of the credit cannot be implemented until each U.S. state takes a required legal step to certify the scholarship-granting nonprofits that are meant to be beneficiaries of the tax-credited donations.

Another requirement of the new federal law is that the approved educational scholarship foundations must spend the donations in such a way as to meet the educational needs of at-risk students. Traditionally, the leaders in doing this have been private elementary and secondary schools, which use donations like these (in the states that encourage them by law) to provide tuition scholarships to students. Advocates for public schools are now pointing out, however, that an increasing number of Illinois public school districts and jurisdictions are setting up tax-exempt foundations to encourage donation activity. Traditionally in Illinois, public school foundations are set up to encourage the donation of deductible income. With the new 2025 federal law, though, much of this donation activity could switch over to tax-credit activities in the states that sign on to the new federal tax credit, potentially multiplying benefits for taxpayers in the states that sign on.

The new federal/state program applies to eligible gifts of up to $1,700 per year to scholarship-graining nonprofits. The nonprofits are required to spend this money to benefit households with annual incomes of less than 300% of the local median income. Unfortunately, Gov. Pritzker has not yet taken the necessary steps to opt Illinois into the program.

In order to weigh in on this debate, more than 20 Illinois counties, together with many townships, have added an Illinois scholarship tax credit question onto their March 2026 primary ballots. The question will ask voters to advise the State of Illinois on whether voters support or oppose opting into this federal program and creating expanded income tax credits for Illinoisans. These questions will be treated as advisory referendums and results of the referendums will be published along with the other results of the March 2026 primary election.

CORRUPTION/ETHICS REFORM

One year since Madigan corruption conviction. It's been one year since disgraced ex-Speaker Michael J. Madigan was convicted of bribery, conspiracy, and wire fraud in federal court. While the conviction was a big win for Illinois, we still have a long way to go to root out the culture of corruption that festered for so long under Madigan's control. Illinois politicians need to be held to the highest ethical standards to stop bad behavior in its tracks.

The Michael Madigan playbook is still largely in place in the Statehouse. One year after Madigan's conviction, House Republicans have introduced numerous anti-corruption measures, but Democrats continue to drag their feet on ethics reform. Illinoisans deserve better accountability and transparency from their state government. It's time to reject the "Madigan way" and start earning back the trust of the people.