Rep. Bunting’s Springfield news update for October 24

In this issue:

• Soaring electric bills are still burdening Illinoisans
• Sports wagering and video gaming dominating Illinois gaming picture
• Help for seniors with Medicare open enrollment
• Illinois headlines

Soaring electric bills are still burdening Illinoisans

With winter approaching and Illinoisans expecting to use more energy to heat and light their homes and businesses, soaring electricity bills continue to add burdens for each of us.

As we are all aware, electric bills went up substantially over the summer, and now those high rates are continuing to take a bigger bite out of household budgets. The rate increases coincided with the shutdowns of coal-burning power plants in Illinois which provided electricity to residents throughout the state. The green energy plants which were supposed to come online and pick up the slack are not yet capable of meeting the demand, so power had to be imported from other states, at higher costs to ratepayers.

We are currently in the midst of the fall veto session of the General Assembly. We met last week but passed no substantial legislation. The House and Senate were not in session this week but are scheduled to return for three more days starting next Tuesday. There has been a lot of discussion about a new energy bill, but so far, no final proposal has emerged to be reviewed. The early indications are that the proposal would only double down on the current policies and would do very little to bring down electricity rates.

Hopefully we will see more details and a better bill will emerge that provides relief for Illinoisans.

For information on utility bill assistance for eligible Illinois households, please click here or call 1-877-411-WARM.

Sports wagering and video gaming dominating Illinois gaming picture

The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability recently issued its report on gaming trends in Illinois and found that growth in video gaming and sports wagering have made these two sectors the largest gambling revenue generators in Illinois.

Combined, these two sectors generated $1,251 million in tax revenues to the state in the recently concluded fiscal year. Video gaming is largely conducted at electronic terminals in private locations such as bars and gas stations. Sports wagering is mostly done via smartphone apps.

Other forms of gambling did not grow as fast in Illinois in 2025. Lottery ticket sales generated $789 million in net revenue, most of which was funneled to Illinois schools. But Lottery revenues have been flat for more than a decade in an overall context of inflation and falling money values. Casino taxes brought in $186 million to the state, a decline from peak levels which were reached back in the 1990s. Horse racing revenues have also continued their decline, bringing in just $7 million in the last fiscal year.

Even though video gaming and sports betting are fast-growing revenue streams, they are vulnerable to changes in the law. Last year the General Assembly enacted tax hikes on video gaming and sports wagering (I voted No) and again this year there was another tax increase on sports wagering (I again voted No).

Help for seniors with Medicare open enrollment

The open enrollment period for Illinois seniors in Medicare began on October 15 and runs until December 7. This open enrollment period gives eligible seniors an opportunity to compare health offerings and drug plan options and choose the one which is best for them.

Many seniors have complex prescription plans, and some have significant co-pay requirements. These factors can make it difficult to choose which plan is best. In an effort to help, the Illinois Department on Aging is offering assistance through the Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP). SHIP partners with local health departments and Area Agencies on Aging to offer counseling and advice to enrollees who make appointments. A list of offices that offer SHIP counseling can be found here.

Find out more from the Department on Aging by clicking here or by calling the toll-free Senior Help Line at 1-800-252-8966.

Our current bill backlog

When a vendor provides the state with goods and services, they submit the bill to the Illinois Comptroller for payment. The Comptroller processes the paperwork and pays the bill when funds are available in the state's checking account. Currently the total amount of unpaid bills is $2,035,168,393. This figure changes daily. Last year at this time the state had $2.0 billion in bills awaiting payment. This only includes bills submitted to the Comptroller for payment, not unfunded debts like the state's pension liability, which is well over $100 billion.

Illinois headlines

Gov. JB Pritzker won $1.4 million via gambling, 2024 tax returns show

Illinois House GOP argue lawmakers need to lower taxes, cut spending

Illinois law enforcement camera grant accepting applications for fiscal year 2026

Grants support agricultural lessons for thousands of Illinois students

Illinois announces new waterfowl hunting zones and dates for 2026-2030

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