Budget negotiations are still happening in Springfield, up to the wee hours on Sunday, May 31. Your voice as a constituent can still make a difference.
Federal budget cuts to food programs, Medicaid, and education are already hitting many Illinois communities, but the proposed budget does not allow for the even bigger hits that are coming later this year. We need additional revenues for Illinois in the FY27 budget to be in a position to cushion the blow for our most vulnerable Illinoisans.
Illinois has one of the most unfair tax systems in the country. We rank eighth most-regressive among all states. Low-income households pay more than double the share of their income in state and local taxes compared to the wealthiest 1%. The General Assembly can correct this imbalance and provide adequate funding for our most important responsibilities. Contact your state senator and state representative today!
The League of Women Voters of Illinois recommends support for the following budget legislation:
Ending Offshore Tax Havens – (Worldwide Combined Reporting) HB5318/SB3486 This legislation closes offshore tax havens used by multinational corporations to shift their profits out of Illinois. By implementing "worldwide combined reporting," the state ensures that large corporations are taxed on their actual economic activity within Illinois, preventing them from using complex accounting to avoid paying their fair share. This is estimated to generate $1.2 billion annually.
Establishing a Billionaire Wealth Tax – HB5215/SB3376 Illinois currently has one of the most unequal tax systems in the country, where the wealthiest 1% often pay a lower effective rate than working families. This bill establishes a "mark-to-market" tax on the asset appreciation of billionaires, ensuring that extreme growth in wealth is taxed similarly to the wages of everyday workers.
Digital Ads Tax-Ensuring Big Tech Companies Pay Their Fair Share - HB4894/SB3353 As Big Tech corporations profit from the personal data of Illinoisans, this bill ensures they contribute back to the state’s economy. The legislation imposes a tax on the digital advertising revenue of the world's largest tech platforms—those generating over $150 million in annual digital ad revenue. This is estimated to generate $1.1 billion annually.
Protecting Illinois's Budget from Trump Tax Giveaways – HB5125/SB3796 This initiative protects the Illinois budget from being drained by federal tax giveaways to the ultra-wealthy included in Trump’s H.R. 1. By "decoupling" from these harmful federal provisions and closing corporate loopholes like the "carried interest" exemption, Illinois can stop the drain on our resources. This is estimated to generate $710 million annually.

We need additional revenues for Illinois in the FY27 budget. Why do we need additional revenues THIS YEAR? Because Illinois has already slashed spending on core services by 13% since 2000.  The Governor's budget proposal cuts or holds flat (which is effectively a cut with inflation) key investments in K-12, early childhood, higher education, and human services that the people of Illinois need today.

Federal budget cuts to food programs, Medicaid, and education are already hitting many Illinois communities, but the proposed budget does not allow for the even bigger hits that are coming later this year. We need MORE REVENUE IN THIS BUDGET to be in a position to cushion the blow for our most vulnerable Illinoisans.

K-12 education funding in Illinois is still $3 billion below what the state has acknowledged is needed for an adequate education for all students. School districts around the state are already facing budget deficits for a myriad of reasons, whether due to loss of federal funding or increased expenses. Although Chicago Public Schools’ proposed cuts have had a lot of coverage, the list is far longer—Mercer County, Rockford, Freeport, Evanston (high school and elementary district), Naperville, Indian Prairie, Springfield, Decatur, Wauconda.

Please support these four revenue bills and any other reasonable and progressive revenue measures, and then let me know what you have done to get them included in the final budget:

Digital Advertising Tax – HB4894/SB3353 (N. Hernandez/Peters)
Billionaire Wealth Tax –  HB5215/SB3376 (Mah/Villa)
Protecting Illinois's Budget from Trump Tax Giveaways – HB5125/SB3796 (LaPointe/Collins)
Ending Offshore Tax Havens – HB5318/SB3486 (West/Martwick)

Fund Critical Services in Illinois