SPRINGFIELD – With property tax bills continuing to climb across Illinois, State Senator Toi Hutchinson (D-Chicago Heights) is working with newly elected Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi on a set of reforms to Illinois’ antiquated property tax system.

“Anyone who owns property in Illinois understands how outdated and regressive our property tax system is,” Hutchinson said. “It is something we all know and discuss, but have done little to address. This proposal would take a meaningful step forward to increase accuracy and transparency for Illinois taxpayers.”

Hutchinson has introduced Senate Bill 1379, which is a comprehensive set of reforms to Cook County’s property tax system. While the proposal would primarily apply to Cook County, all Illinois counties would have the ability to adopt the requirements.

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SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Toi Hutchinson (D-Chicago Heights) released the following statement this afternoon after attending Gov. Pritzker’s budget address in Springfield:

“What we just heard was the most honest and frank assessment of the clear consequences of a 736-day budget crisis that exacerbated every known problem the State of Illinois already had.

“Our ridiculous habit of careening from crisis to crisis has landed us where we are today and that means the time is now for all of us to come together to figure out how to turn the great State of Illinois around.

“It has to be done and it must be done. Because the people of the great State of Illinois are worth fighting for.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Toi Hutchinson (D-Chicago Heights) released the following statement this afternoon after voting to increase Illinois’ minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2025:

“Every Senator in this body represents constituents in our districts who wake up every morning when it is still dark outside and go to work. They work all day and string together hourly jobs just to make ends meet. Then they get up and do it all over again. They don’t have a lobbyist to fight for their behalf – they only have us.

“Today is our day to lift up millions of working Illinoisans who despite their hard work, still live every day in poverty.”

Senate Bill 1 would gradually increase Illinois’ minimum wage starting with an increase to $9.25 scheduled on January 1, 2020. Illinois’ minimum wage has been stagnant at $8.25 since 2010.

Senate Bill 1 passed on a 39-18 vote and now heads to the Illinois House for further debate.

SPRINGFIELD – Homeowners and small businesses across the South Suburbs will see decreases in their property tax bills under a new state grant program that seeks to provide relief to school districts in high-taxed areas.

The Property Tax Relief Grant was included in the historic school funding reform law that has already provided millions of dollars in new state funds to school districts that need it the most. In the first year alone, the 40th Senate District received nearly $10 million in additional state funding.

“Communities with little property wealth have been forced to increase their taxes year after year, placing a high burden on homeowners and small businesses and cheating students out of a quality education,” State Senator Toi Hutchinson (D-Chicago Heights) said. “For many South Suburban communities, this has only increased economic disinvestment and neighborhood stagnation.”

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