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Democratic leaders miss adjournment deadline The General
Assembly missed its scheduled April 7 adjournment deadline, leaving
the state of Illinois without a final budget bill and without a
foreseeable date of adjournment.
Democratic leaders who control the Illinois Senate, House of
Representatives and governor's office have had all year to work on a
budget proposal. House and Senate Republicans, for the second year
in a row, have been cut out of the budget talks, while Democratic
leaders continue to press for more borrowing and spending in place
of cutting expenses in areas that have proven to be less beneficial
to Illinois citizens.
With no budget agreement to move on, the Senate will now return
to Springfield on April 25. The Senate has also scheduled a session
date for May 2, which would be more than three weeks after their
original adjournment date. Taxpayers are the ones who will suffer
because of the one-sided budgeting process, because each day a
budget is delayed, more unaffordable demands are added to an already
bloated list.
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 Homestead tax exemption restored for senior citizens
Legislation restoring a tax exemption for senior citizens is on
its way to the governor for final consideration, having received
overwhelming approval from both legislative chambers.
House Bill 4789 is a response to a recent Illinois Supreme Court
decision striking down a 1994 law that created the senior citizen
assessment freeze. The court ruled in December last year that the
1994 law violated the state's single-subject requirements.
The measure restores the "senior citizens assessment freeze
homestead exemption" to ensure that senior citizens will be able to
claim the exemption when they pay their property taxes this year.
The homestead exemption essentially allows qualified senior citizens
to have assessments on their homes frozen for as long they own their
home.
The legislation is an attempt to hold down rising property taxes
for senior citizens, many of whom have lived in the same home for
years and cannot afford sudden property tax increases when their
property value jumps.
Holiday greetings
Hope you had a happy and blessed Passover and Easter.
[Column from
Sen. Bill Brady] |
