She expressed her concern regarding the potential extreme loss that local businesses might face, making it harder for them to remain operational in the future. “Unfortunately, this is an area where our local businesses might suffer greatly,” she stated.
Pritzker emphasized that their main focus was to urge companies and individuals who are capable of paying more, to actually pay more. “In fact, if you look at what we did, really our focus was on asking people who can, companies that can pay more to pay more,” stated Pritzker.
On Friday, House Bill 4582 was signed by Pritzker to authorize bonds. According to State Rep. Tom Weber, a Republican from Lake Villa, this bill not only adds $8 billion to taxpayers’ debt but also gives local school boards the power to increase property taxes without holding a referendum.
“Did you hear that correctly? The state has some of the highest property taxes in the country, and yet, a resolution has been proposed to impose taxes without a referendum,” he stated.
According to the bill summary, starting from September 1, 2024, there will be no need for a referendum to construct or acquire a building for classroom or instructional purposes, as long as the board passes a resolution indicating that the building or purchase will lead to more pre-kindergarten or kindergarten classroom space in the district.
On Friday, Senate Bill 3268 was signed, which includes the Medicaid omnibus bill. This bill brings changes to the rates for services and grants pharmacists the authority to conduct tests for illnesses such as flu, HIV, and COVID-19.