In This Issue:
Property Tax Rebates
Legislation in the Works
Tomorrow: Food Drive for Loaves & Fishes
Supply Drive for Alive Center
Illinois Legal Aid Online
Coffee & Conversation
Citizens Utility Board (Two Part Series)
Dear Friends, As we enjoy the last weeks of summer, our office has been wrapping up another summer intern season. Many of you have seen the intern team at events and at your doors, and I am eager to share with you the work they’ve done these last few months on new legislation in response to the issues you’ve brought to our office. Soon, many of you will see the effect of a different piece of legislation for which you also provided feedback: Starting this month, Illinois will be sending property tax rebates that were passed as part of the FY2023 budget. I’ve provided more details below. Our office also continues to work in the district on a number of service projects and events. The most timely is a food drive for Loaves & Fishes, which happens this Saturday at our office. Even if you can’t make it this Saturday, I hope you’ll join me for the myriad of other activities going on over the next few weeks. Our office enjoys meeting with you and discussing the issues that are important to you and our community. We hope to see you at one of our events, and feel free to reach out if we can assist you with any concerns connected to our state government. Best, Janet Below are some of the ways our summer 2022 intern class worked in the office and throughout our district this year.
Property Tax Rebates Earlier this year, I wrote to you about our state’s budget surplus, asking you how you wanted me to prioritize these funds and ultimately return your money back to you. The resulting budget (highlights here) tried to balance paying down our debts with providing relief to Illinois families, and many of you will be seeing the effects of that in the next few weeks via property tax rebates. As part of Senate Bill 157 and the Illinois Family Relief Plan, qualified Illinois taxpayers will receive one-time income tax and property tax rebates. Those meeting certain income requirements (under $200,000 for single filers and under $400,000 for joint filers) will receive rebates of $50 (single filer) or $100 (married filing jointly). If you have dependents, you will receive a rebate amount of up to $300 ($100 per dependent, with a maximum of three). Rebates will be issued starting in mid-September and will be automatically sent in the method that your original tax refund was sent. Those that did not receive a refund or did not file an Illinois state tax return will receive your rebate by check. For more details, for to: https://www2.illinois.gov/rev/programs/Rebates/Pages/Default.aspx Legislation in the Works Our team of summer interns attended each of our Citizens Advisory Panels with me this summer, and they have been researching the concerns and issues you brought to us. These are some of the new pieces of legislation that I plan to introduce in the coming weeks:
DuPage River Accessibility for Recreational Use: We are broadening our focus to include all waterways in Illinois while maintaining the rights of landowners along the river.
Halal & Kosher Food Options in our Schools: Many students cannot purchase their lunch at school, as the dietary restrictions from their religious beliefs leave them with no options. This bill will allow for those options if requested by a student.
Clarifying Language on School District Treasurer Bonds: We’re working with our area school districts and the Illinois State Board of Education to clarify treasurer bond requirements that will save money for our school districts and property taxpayers.
Tax Credit for Teachers: I sponsored legislation to increase the educators’ tax credit, which was included in this year’s budget. With so many teachers and school staff using this credit to purchase supplies for their classrooms, I’ll be introducing additional legislation to make it easier for our educators to use this tax credit.
Clean Bus Appropriations: Naperville School District 203’s Board of Education passed a resolution asking for the state to designate funds to help schools across the state begin to move toward clean buses, and I’m proud to sponsor legislation that will carry forward their efforts.
Sales Tax Amnesty: Local businesses worked diligently to provide the back-to-school tax holiday enacted by the FY23 budget. I’m working with them and state-wide business associations to protect them from any tax complications arising from implementing this tax holiday event.
Happening Tomorrow! Food Drive for Loaves & Fishes Help us provide needed items to Loaves & Fishes Community Services through our food drive with Senator Laura Ellman. You can drop off items at our office during the event on Saturday, September 10 from 9am-12pm. Here is the list of the most needed items:
Pasta
Rice & beans
Soups & sauces
Dried fruit & snacks
Coffee, tea & juice
Gluten free items
Low-sodium & low-sugar canned goods
Personal care products
Cleaners & detergent
Diapers & baby wipes
Toiletries
Gift Card Drive for Alive Center
Alive Center is an amazing local organization that works with many of our young adults and "empowers teens to be resilient and impassioned through a peer mentoring model."
Throughout the month of September, we’re working to further Alive Center’s mission, collecting gift cards for their highest needs from these area businesses:
Amazon
Target
Pizza/Food Delivery gift cards
These cards can be sent virtually through their email info@AliveCenter.org, or you can also mail the gift cards directly to Alive Center at 500 W 5th Ave Naperville, IL 60563.
Illinois Legal Aid Online
Illinois Legal Aid Online is a local organization with statewide reach that helps resolve legal problems, making the law actionable and accessible to everyone. Join me in a conversation with Teresa Ross, Executive Director of Illinois Legal Aid Online to understand the resources that ILAO can provide to you.
What: Learn about Illinois Legal Aid Online community resources
When: Tuesday, September 21, 2022 at 7:00 pm
Where: Facebook Live - Facebook account not requred
You can submit questions ahead of time by registering on our website or ask questions live by leaving questions in the comment section during the event.
Coffee & Conversation
Join us on the last Saturday of each month to chat about the local and statewide issues that matter to you. We rotate locations throughout the district, and this month we'll be in the central portion of the district.
What: Coffee & Conversation with me and your neighbors
When: Saturday, September 24, 2022 from 10:00 to 11:00 am
Where: Starbucks on Washington and Gartner, 1043 S. Washington St., Naperville
Citizens Utility Board (Two Part Series)
The Citizen Utility Board was created by the Illinois General Assembly in 1983 with a mission to represent the interests of residential utility customers across the state. Guest speaker and CUB Outreach Coordinator Kate Shonk will join us on October 4 to introduce the resources that CUB can provide to you.
What: Introduction to the Citizen Utility Board
When: Tuesday, October 4 at 7:00 pm
Where: Facebook Live (Facebook account not required)
Later in the month (Oct. 26), sign up for an individualized look at your gas, phone, and/or internet bill to get expert advice on how you can save money on these utilities.
