Big News from Springfield
Dear Neighbor,
On May 31 (well technically, at 3am on June 1), we adjourned the spring legislative session. We'll be returning for a special session later this month (more on that later), but by and large, our work is done.
In today's newsletter, I'm going to describe a few of the biggest-ticket items we passed this year: redistricting, affordable housing, and of course the state budget. And I'll give updates on the two big items we haven't finished yet: a massive clean energy bill and legislation for an elected school board in Chicago.
New district maps
Redrawing our legislative districts was one of the most complex and sensitive subjects of the session. But I'm proud of the result: we ended up with maps that preserve and strengthen minority representation while keeping communities together and following natural boundaries as much as possible.
My district stayed largely intact, as you can see here (former district in black, future district in blue):
I've added more of Logan Square and Avondale, and even some new areas along the Chicago River, while some of Kilbourn Park has moved into Rep. Andrade's district and some of Portage Park is now with Rep. LaPointe.
Explore the maps more at this link. And if you're no longer in my district, I'll be sad to see you go but happy to connect you to your wonderful new legislator!
State budget
We went into budget-making this year very concerned about the negative effects of the pandemic on our state's revenues. But fortunately, revenues were surprisingly resilient. Most of the thanks there go to President Biden, whose American Rescue Plan, stimulus checks, and continued unemployment support helped buoy the economy and keep tax receipts strong.
We also closed a few gaping loopholes passed under President Trump - before Illinois opted out of them, these giveaways were exempting over $600 million in big corporate income from taxes.
Closing those loopholes, combined with those stronger revenues, enabled us to pass a budget with no cuts to vital services, and really important new investments. That includes the $350 million in new money to K-12 schools that we've committed to adding each year, as well as major new investments for developmentally disabled people and services for immigrants and refugees.
Near and dear to my heart, we successfully advocated for a huge increase to the Parent Mentor Program, which is active at schools around our district and across the state. That incredible program saw an increase from $3.5 million to $8 million, which will increase stipends and bring it to more schools. Big shout-out to the Logan Square Neighborhood Association, which leads the way on the PMP in our area!
Affordable housing
If we didn't already know it, the pandemic made it clear: we have a housing crisis in our city and our state. It's multifaceted and complex, but one central feature of it is the lack of affordable rental housing.
I was proud to sponsor legislation that will spur the creation and rehabilitation of tens of thousands of affordable units across our state. House Bill 2621 is an omnibus approach. It includes a grant program, funded by the American Rescue Plan, to leverage federal and private investments and build new homes. And it also creates a number of tools to lower the property tax burdens on new and rehabbed affordable housing. This will incentivize landlords to keep their rents low.
There's much, much more that needs to be done to make sure everyone in Illinois has a roof over their heads. But this bill is a major step in the right direction, and I'm excited for its passage.
Still left: energy and elected school board
We need climate policy for the 21st century. Our state needs to reconfigure its energy and transportation sectors to eliminate greenhouse emissions and transition to renewables as quickly as possible. We need the economic growth that this green revolution will create, and we need to make sure those opportunities are equitably distributed.
Those are the tenets of the Clean Energy Jobs Act. And we got very, very close to passing it by May 31. Unfortunately, at the last minute, one of the dirtiest power plants in America lobbied hard to be exempted from our bill (which was, of course, unacceptable to many of us), and that disrupted the negotiations.
Meanwhile, we were also pushing for an elected school board in Chicago. Every other community in Illinois has its schools governed by elected representatives. But here in Chicago, the board is appointed by the mayor, which has allowed it to pursue policies in direct opposition to our communities' needs while being totally shielded from accountability.
That bill, too, stumbled in the final hours of session. But the Senate finally passed a compromise version after the House had adjourned. It will have partial elections for the board in 2024, and a fully elected board up for a vote in 2026.
Both of these measures are transformational steps, in their respective arenas, for justice and equity. So I'm excited to report that the House will reconvene later this summer (it's looking like late June) to take final action on these two critical issues.
Phew, that's a lot! More to come soon on the bills that I championed this session, many of which I've already written you about — medical release from prison, prescription drug affordability, retirement security, and more.
Until then, take care,
- Will
PS. We'll be discussing all this and more at our town hall this Thursday! So if you have any questions, or are curious about more details, please join us!
Legislative Town Hall: Thursday, June 10 at 6pm
Tune-in live at Facebook.com/RepGuzzardi39
