Bryant’s Bulletin: September 4, 2024

Illinois Supreme Court Upholds Ruling Blocking Law That Limits Candidate Slating

The Illinois Supreme Court recently upheld a lower court’s ruling that blocked Senate Bill 2412, a controversial law signed by Governor Pritzker in May. The bill aimed to halt the practice of slating candidates to fill ballot vacancies for the current election cycle, even as candidates were already collecting petition signatures and rearranging their lives to run for office. Republican lawmakers criticized the bill as an attempt to benefit Democratic incumbents and reduce voter choice in the upcoming election.

Governor Pritzker’s legislative allies petitioned the court to revisit the earlier ruling, but the Illinois Supreme Court affirmed the lower court’s decision, declaring the law unconstitutional since it attempted to alter election rules after the election cycle had begun. If the law Pritzker signed had taken effect, it would have prevented numerous candidates from being placed on the ballot in the 2024 general election. The measure drew swift criticism from many, including good government advocates, who viewed it as a blatant power grab by Democratic lawmakers to give vulnerable incumbents an advantage in November.

Under the recent ruling, candidates who had collected the required number of petition signatures by the official deadline will now be placed on the ballot for voter consideration.

State Senator Terri Bryant, who opposed the bill in the Senate, expressed relief that the courts rejected yet another attempt by Pritzker’s allies to reduce voters’ choices and manipulate the electoral process.

Tax Credits Available for Parents and Educators 

With students back in the classroom and a new school year underway, the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) is reminding eligible taxpayers that they may claim back-to-school expenses for their K-12 students on their 2024 individual income tax returns. With the high cost of living and taxes placing significant strain on working families, every bit of financial relief counts.

The Illinois Education Expense Credit allows parents or legal guardians of a full-time K-12 student under the age of 21 to take a 25% tax credit on qualified education expenses over $250, up to a maximum credit of $750. Eligible expenses include tuition, book rental, and lab fees paid to the school where the student is enrolled full-time. For families who homeschool, book rental and lab fees that exceed $250 also qualify, provided they are part of an approved home school program.

In addition to the credit for parents, Illinois also offers the K-12 Instructional Materials and Supplies Tax Credit for educators. Teachers, instructors, counselors, principals, and aides working in a qualified school for at least 900 hours during the school year can claim up to $500 for out-of-pocket expenses on classroom materials. For educator spouses filing jointly, the maximum credit doubles to $1,000.

Additional information regarding both tax credits may be found by visiting IDOR’s website at tax.illinois.gov and Pub-112, Education Expense Credit General Rules and Requirements for Schools, Home Schools, Parents, and Guardians.

ISOS Announces Library Grants

Senator Bryant is pleased to announce that several libraries throughout the 58th District are receiving more than $496K in state library grants this year to help ensure all residents have access to quality resources and programming.

These grants, awarded by the Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian, include:

• Public Library Per Capita Grants – awarded annually to support local public library services. Public libraries can use this funding for operational needs, including purchasing materials for their library collections and capital improvements to their facilities.
• Equalization Aid Grant – awarded under a statutory formula to provide a minimum level of funding when local funding through taxes is too low to meet the service population’s base needs.
• Public Library Construction Grants – allows libraries to address refurbishing and renovation of existing facilities, assure compliance with accessibility standards, and even build new facilities.
• New Technology Grants – helps fund things such as adding hardware and software, expanding online collections and e-resources, purchasing digital devices and mobile apps, increasing Wi-Fi capacity and internet accessibility, incorporating patron self-checkouts, and assuring ADA compliance for library websites and purchasing adaptive technologies that accommodate service needs for persons with disabilities.

The recipients for the 58th Senate District are as follows:

New Law to Reduce DMV Visits with 4-and 8-Year License Options

Illinois drivers will soon have the option to choose between a four-year or eight-year driver’s license, thanks to new legislation recently signed into law.

Senate Bill 275 requires the Secretary of State to establish rules for this process by January 1, 2027, with the new options available to motorists by July 1 of that year.

This change aims to reduce the frequency of visits to the DMV, offering convenience to drivers and aligning Illinois with other states that already offer longer license validity periods. The cost for an eight-year license will be $60, double the cost of a four-year license.

This new law is expected to ease the challenges motorists face when scheduling appointments at driver services facilities, providing greater flexibility and reducing wait times.

Illinois Sees Record Tourism Growth in 2023

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and the Illinois Office of Tourism recently reported that Illinois welcomed 112 million domestic and international visitors in 2023, resulting in $47 billion in visitor spending.

This is an increase of 1 million visitors and over $3 billion in spending compared to the previous year, according to data from Tourism Economics. In 2023, leisure travel in Illinois also saw notable growth, with an increase in overnight leisure stays statewide by 4.3%.

The influx of visitors also increased visitor spending, surpassing pre-pandemic levels and marking a 4% increase over 2019 numbers. The economic impact of this tourism activity, including indirect and induced effects, reached $83 billion, a 6.4% increase from 2022.

Currently, DCEO is offering $4 million in tourism funding opportunities through the Route 66 Grant Program to continue to boost tourism and cultural preservation across Illinois. To learn more, visit the DCEO website.