Taxpayers could get checks up to $600 and tax-free back-to-school shopping in $1.8 billion relief deal

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Senate Democrats proposed Friday a more than $1.8 billion inflation-busting relief plan that would wipe out state taxes on back-to-school shopping and groceries, stop higher gas taxes and deliver income and property tax refund checks statewide.

“This plan gets money back in the hands of consumers. They’ve endured through this pandemic. It’s time for the state to pay it forward,” Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) said at a Capitol press conference.

Under their plan, the state would directly deliver relief checks valued at $100 per person and $50 per child to state taxpayers making up to $250,000 individually or up to $500,000 jointly. A household of four could see a $300 check.

The relief checks would likely come in late summer or early fall. Lawmakers estimated more than 97 percent of state taxpayers would get a check of some amount.

SPRINGFIELD – People reentering society after being released from the Illinois Department of Corrections facilities should have access to documents regarding their time committed. State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) championed legislation to allow incarcerated individuals to request a summary of their master record.

“People should have the right to double-check their file for false or misleading information, especially if an individual is applying for clemency or other legal remedies,” said Pacione-Zayas. “As Illinois continues to commit itself to a focus on restorative justice, making sure people have the resources they need to reflect and rehabilitate is vital.”

House Bill 4559 would allow people committed to IDOC facilities to request one summary of their master record file a year. It would also allow a committed person’s attorney an additional request of the summary of the master file annually.

SPRINGFIELD – The Senate advanced a measure Wednesday supported by State Senator Karina Villa (D-West Chicago) to protect students in Illinois from grooming and abuse at the hands of educators.

“Students have a right to feel safe at school and know they can trust the adults who watch over them,” said Villa. “This legislation ensures those who breach that trust are unable to go to another school and do the same thing.”

House Bill 4316 expands on legislation passed in December 2021 known as Faith’s Law. Named after Faith Colson, a woman who experienced sexual abuse as a student nearly 20 years ago, Faith’s Law made it illegal for school employees to groom students into sexual relationships. It created a resource guide for students, parents, teachers on sexual abuse response and prevention and strengthen training for teachers.

SPRINGFIELD –To address the rising demand for COVID-19 vaccinations, State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) advanced an initiative to allow more health care workers to administer the vaccines.                                                        

“With more people wanting to protect themselves against COVID-19, at times there were not enough administrators for the number of individuals trying to get vaccinated,” Murphy said. “To offer more flexibility, vaccination clinics should be able to hire qualified health care professionals to administer COVID shots.”

Getting vaccinated for COVID-19 is vital to stopping the spread of the virus and lowering mortality rates. However, if there are not enough people able to administer vaccines, people may experience delays in making appointments to get their shot or booster. Currently, physicians, pharmacists, PAs, and APRNs are authorized to administer COVID-19 vaccines, but with the public demand for these shots, some health care centers are struggling to find enough administrators with these qualifications.

SPRINGFIELD – Legislation sponsored by Senator Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) would protect restaurants, bars and retailers from deceptive delivery services advanced out of the Senate Friday.  

House Bill 3205 would prohibit third party delivery companies from posting a menu, registered trademark or any intellectual property without the express written consent of restaurant, bars and retail establishments. 

“Restaurants, bars and retailers have a right to protect their brand,” Feigenholtz said. “Some establishments simply do not want to offer delivery because their food does not travel well or they are focused on the dine-in experience.”

CHICAGO – State Senator Emil Jones III (D-Chicago) is sponsoring legislation to mandate and require private insurers to allow men to get annual prostate cancer screenings free-of-charge.

“It’s important to be aware of your health risks — this bill will make prostate cancer screenings more accessible for men across the state,” Jones said. “Prostate cancer is life threatening — a simple test can detect it early and save a life.”

House Bill 5318 would require private insurers to provide all qualifying male policyholders with an annual prostate cancer screening upon the recommendations of a physician.

SPRINGFIELD – To allow more people to access HIV preventative care easier, State Senator Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) is leading a measure to allow pharmacists to provide HIV tests and preventative medications to help reduce new HIV infections.

Simmons’ measure would allow pharmacists to dispense and administer drugs, order laboratory tests, and consult individuals related to HIV pre-exposure drugs (PrEP) and post-exposure drugs (PEP). Pharmacists would first have to complete an educational training course on the administration of tests and medications prior to being permitted to assist patients. 

“This bill will cut down on waiting times and provide potentially life-saving care to thousands of Illinoisans,” Simmons said. “Doing so will especially help reduce new HIV infections among cisgender Black women, LGBTQ+ people, Latinos, and those who lack health insurance.”

SPRINGFIELD – Those without health insurance could receive information on available state health insurance with a check of a box thanks to a measure sponsored by State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) that passed through the Illinois Senate on Friday.

“This change will allow many without health insurance to obtain information on available state health insurance options that they may not have known existed,” Stadelman said. “Knowing your available options is the first step for many people to get covered and it’s as simple as checking a box on a form.”

House Bill 5142 would establish a health insurance “easy enrollment” program by including a checkbox on all Illinois income tax forms that taxpayers may check to request more information on available health insurance options and prices.