SPRINGFIELD – Following a wave of corruption and indictments among state officials, Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) is calling on lawmakers to pass a comprehensive ethics package, including restrictions on revolving door lobbying, updates to the statement of economic interest forms and new provisions regarding conflict of interest.

“People should not be allowed to be a lawmaker one day and a lobbyist the next,” Morrison said. “Stopping lawmakers from auditioning for jobs with special interests while still in office will help end the glaring corruption taking place in Springfield.”

Since joining the Illinois Senate in 2013, Morrison has introduced bills each session to block the lawmaker-to-lobbyist revolving door. Those measures would prohibit lawmakers who resign from their post from taking jobs as Illinois lobbyists for a certain amount of time after they retire. However, they never made it through the legislature.

ROCKFORD – State Senator Steve Stadelman recently announced that Harlem Unit District 122 has received the Illinois State Board of Education Property Tax Relief Grant.

“This is another positive step forward in bringing long-term property tax relief to the people of Loves Park and Machesney Park,” Stadelman said. “Property taxes have been – and continue to be – an important issue that needs to be further addressed in the Rockford area, which is why I am pleased to see this grant awarded to Harlem schools.”

ESSEX – State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) announced that several school districts in the South Suburbs have received the Illinois State Board of Education Property Tax Relief Grant.

“I think this is a great step toward correcting our broken property tax system,” Joyce said. “We all know how big a burden property taxes are on homeowners, which is why I am glad to see several communities receiving some relief from these grants”

The Property Tax Relief Grant gives school districts with high tax rates relative to other school districts with an opportunity to lower the property tax burden on local taxpayers. Allocating more state funding to local schools that have disproportionate high property taxes allows the amount of school funding provided by property taxes to go down.

The amount of funding received by the grant will be included in future state funding for those school districts.

More information on the Property Tax Relief Grant and a listing of each eligible school district can be found at www.ISBE.net/proptaxrelief.

School districts receiving the Property Tax Relief Grant include:

• Flossmoor School District 161
• Homewood – Flossmoor Community High School District 233
• Park Forest School District 163
• Rich Township High School District 227

SPRINGFIELD – Property taxes will be lowered for many home and business owners in Lake County this year thanks to the Property Tax Relief Grant.

The Property Tax Relief Grant is a state grant program designed to provide financial relief for school districts that are heavily taxed and to help level the playing field to for school districts.

School Districts account for more than 60% of property tax bills. “I helped create this grant, because it will provide needed property tax relief to families who reside in communities in high tax-rate school districts” State Senator Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake) said.

Local school districts that are eligible for the grant include:

• Grayslake Community High School District 127
• Round Lake Area Schools Community Unit School District 116
• Zion Elementary School District 6
• Zion-Benton Township High School District 126

Eligible districts must submit an abatement resolution – a local taxing district’s approved plan to reduce property taxes – to their county clerks by March 30. The Illinois State Board of Education will then distribute the grants to each eligible district after receiving the Certification of Abatement Form from the county clerk. 

“Regardless of where they live, every child in Illinois deserves a quality education and opportunity to succeed, but the State of Illinois must continue to explore and find ways to reduce the burden born by property taxes,” Bush said.

More information on the Property Tax Relief Grant can be found at www.ISBE.net/proptaxrelief.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Members of the Joint Commission on Ethics and Lobbying Reform sought input on what could have been done to prevent recent high-profile conflicts of interest and what more must be done to hold lawmakers accountable at a hearing Thursday.

“We’re here to make systemic change, close loopholes, and root out opportunities for corrupt behavior that have been identified in recent media reports and investigations,” said state Rep. Greg Harris, who co-chairs the commission. “Yesterday, the governor talked about restoring public trust and cleaning up government. He specifically talked about dealing with disclosures of conflicts of interest, revolving door laws, and limitations on lobbying. Looking around the room as the governor talked, I was happy to see he got a rousing ovation for these three items. From the House, from the Senate, from Democrats, from Republicans. That’s a very good sign for our work. But these proposals are only as good as their details, and it is our job to fill in those details.”

Brad Cole of the Illinois Municipal League and former Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon encouraged members to update and improve the financial interest disclosures legislators are currently required to file. Cole reiterated the need for more complete lobbyist disclosures, including disclosure of lobbyists being paid to influence local governments. Aside from state government, only a handful of Illinois’ nearly 7,000 units of government have any kind of disclosure requirements for those seeking to influence decision-making by public officials.

“People deserve to know that their lawmakers are voting in their communities’ best interests, not in their own interest,” said Sen. Elgie Sims, co-chair of the commission. “We look forward to continuing to engage with experts and stakeholders in these critical discussions.”

SPRINGFIELD—The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus (ILBC) responded to Gov. JB Pritzker’s State of the State address on Wednesday.

Leaders of the Black Caucus discussed key issues brought up by the governor’s address that specifically affect black communities throughout the state, including early childhood education, health care and criminal justice reform.

SPRINGFIELD – Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) responded to Gov. JB Pritzker’s State of the State Address on Wednesday with the following statement:

“Last year, the governor gave the General Assembly an extra push to get some big items done, and I look forward to building on such a successful session. I am particularly excited about investing in early childhood education and working to make college more affordable.”

“Education is a vital tool in lifting people out of poverty, and I am glad Governor Pritzker shares my commitment to the children of Illinois.”

HARVEY – State Senator Napoleon Harris, III (D-Harvey) recently announced a state grant that provides tax relief for several communities in his district.

“I am happy to announce several school districts in the South Suburbs will receive property tax relief,” Harris said. “I understand there are more communities that can benefit from this grant and that’s why I hope more schools take advantage of the funding opportunity.”

The Property Tax Relief Grant helps school districts with high tax rates relative to other school districts by giving them an opportunity to lower the property tax burden on local taxpayers with the state by replacing a portion of foregone tax revenue with state funds.

The amount the school districts receive will be included in future calculations of those districts.