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ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — A panel of Illinois senators and representatives came to Rockford on Wednesday to take questions from Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara and community leaders to learn about the State’s plans for 2025.

Discussions were held on issues like gaming revenue, property taxes, and school choice at the Northern Illinois Council of Governments’ luncheon.

The state budget was the main talking point for lawmakers, with Illinois projected to have a $3.2 billion deficit next year.

Legislators from both Republican and Democratic parties agreed that they would have to make some tough decisions.

Rep. John Cabello (R-Machesney Park), said, "The taxpayers just can’t afford to pay any more.  So there’s just going to have to be some cuts.  And the state has never had a revenue problem. It’s always a problem.  So we’re looking forward to trying to help find those cuts that will be as harsh.  But there’s got to be some cuts."

Rep. Dave Vella (D-Rockford) said, "It’s a complicated issue because you take money out somewhere else, it’s going to hurt somebody else.  You put it in the property taxes and then who pays for the schools? So finding that balance is going to be tough. But there is no panacea. There’s no silver bullet that’s going to fix everything."

Housing was also a legislative priority for community leaders. Rockford has seen an explosion in housing demand. State Rep. Maurice West (D-Rockford) said that demand, coupled with a housing shortage nationwide, has put housing on the front of mind for many legislators.

On Wednesday, Gov. JB Pritzker signed an Executive Order on Wednesday, ordering legislators to examine ways to make housing more affordable for working-class residents.

The order creates an Illinois Director of Housing Solutions, who will oversee the exploration of "how Illinois can accelerate plans to expand the supply and access of housing for working families," according to the Governor’s Office.

"My priority next year is going to be housing," West said. "The city of Rockford received accolades for being the most affordable, which is great, and that causes people to want to come. But, we’ve got to make sure we’re taking care of our own, as well."

The new year will also bring a new presidential administration, headed by Donald Trump. The state government has had conflicts with Trump’s administration in the past, and Gov. JB Pritzker has preemptively taken action to stymie anticipated federal action on illegal immigration, "gender-affirming care," and other controversial issues.

"The good news is, even though there are issues that all of us on the panel strongly disagree with each other on, there is one thing we do regularly, is we meet regularly with the unified voice to make this area known," said Sen. Dave Syverson (R-Cherry Valley). "And do, there are a lot of things that we work together on, a lot of projects together, and with a strong enough voice, we’ve really been able to put Northern Illinois on the map."

The Northern Illinois Council of Governments formed three years ago and now has over 20 legislative members.

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December 11, 2024 at 04:18PM