2025 Illinois General Assembly Recap

I came to The Chicago Community Trust in March after spending years as chief of staff to Illinois State Rep. Kelly Cassidy. I spent much time in the halls of our state capitol working with legislators and advocates to address the critical needs of Illinois residents. I strived for a “nothing about us without us” approach. Collaboration with those directly impacted is key to passing good policy. My job was to listen to people’s lived experiences while also helping them understand how their policy ideas could best be achieved. The process of how our state government functions can be opaque and downright confusing. So, I was excited to enter this legislative session in my new role as policy manager at the Trust, where I could apply my policy navigation skills to advance the Trust’s policy agenda.

Each year, state legislators make their way to Springfield to introduce, debate and approve bills that they believe will improve the lives of Illinoisans and meet their constitutional obligation to pass a balanced budget before June 1. Fulfilling these duties in this year’s session was uniquely challenging given the shifting federal funding landscape. With much-discussed federal funding cuts to essential human services programs like SNAP and Medicaid, a $770 million budget gap for Chicago’s regional transit systems, and fluctuations in the state’s revenue projections, the legislature faced dire scenarios.  

Despite these unknowns, the legislature passed a $55.2 billion budget on May 31, minutes before the midnight deadline. The legislature officially adjourned at around 2 in the morning on June 1, acknowledging the likelihood they may have to return to Springfield to address unresolved matters such as our regional transit system and how Illinois will mitigate federal funding cuts should Congress pass its proposed budget reconciliation package.

The Trust and many of our grant partners remain committed to advancing policies that improve opportunities to build wealth and well-being for all Chicagoans. Amid budget uncertainties, advocates successfully secured a $100 million appropriation to expand the state Child Tax Credit. Illinoisans with children under age 12 and who qualify for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit will receive a $600 tax credit, an increase from last year’s $300. While there is more to do to ensure all low-income families can access a Child Tax Credit that is shown to lift children and families out of poverty and promote economic mobility, an increased appropriation of this size in an extremely challenging budget year is a big win for advocates.

This session, the Trust worked in partnership with AARP Illinois, Center for Community Progress, the Cook County Treasurer’s Office, Housing Action Illinois, National Consumer Law Center, and Neighborhood Housing Services on legislation to respond to a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that determined if the government takes and sells someone’s property for unpaid taxes, the owner has the right to get back any money left over after the taxes are paid. Since 2019, more than 1,000 Cook County homeowners have faced foreclosures, with those home values totaling over $100 million. The tax debts collected from those homes amounted to just over $2 million.

We remain committed to reforming the system through which governments recover unpaid property taxes to ensure owners of these properties can retain the equity they have built through home or commercial property ownership. While months of negotiations and advocacy did not lead to a legislative victory, our coalition was able to secure a moratorium on tax sale foreclosures until March 2026; a small victory that will prevent more property owners currently tangled in the property tax sale system from losing their equity while we continue advocating for meaningful reform.

Despite the challenges we faced this session and the uncertainties that remain, there is joy in celebrating our incremental victories, comfort in facing uncertainty together, and hope knowing the Chicago region is well represented by advocates who will continue their campaigns to improve their communities and decision-makers walking alongside them until we create a thriving, equitable region where everyone has the opportunity to prosper and thrive.