Illinois is heading into July with a mix of major headlines and policy changes. The state is rolling out its largest budget in history, with Governor JB Pritzker signing a $55 billion spending plan for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. This represents a 40 percent increase over six years and includes new tax hikes along with record funding for state projects, education, and public services. The minimum wage in Chicago has gone up to $16.60 an hour for most workers and $16.50 for subsidized youth employment programs. Tipped workers in Chicago now earn $12.62 per hour, with additional increases planned until parity with the city’s minimum wage by 2028, as reported by ABC 7 Chicago and CBS News Chicago. Meanwhile, Illinois’ gas tax has risen to 48.3 cents per gallon, the second highest in the nation, and several municipalities increased local sales taxes as of July 1. New rules also ban hotels with 50 or more rooms from providing single-use plastic personal care bottles, part of a push to reduce plastic waste.Illinois lawmakers have enacted a wide range of new laws addressing human rights, education, public safety, and judicial reforms. State agencies are now required to include non-binary and gender non-conforming data in employment records. Interpreter access must be provided in 13 languages for administrative hearings upon request. For schools, a recent amendment removed "student growth components" from the alternative teacher dismissal evaluation process, shifting how teachers are evaluated. Students facing disciplinary action can now cite pregnancy, parenting, or domestic and sexual violence as mitigating factors, with legislative guarantees for confidentiality and remote learning access in these cases, according to the Illinois General Assembly and Senator Wilcox’s office.There are notable changes in business and taxation. Businesses must now break out state, local, and county sales taxes on receipts, and lease taxes will be collected on tangible personal property lease payments. The state’s Global Intangible Low Taxed Income dividend deduction for corporations has been reduced, and some “sin taxes” on tobacco and sports betting have increased. Incentives also include a Returning Citizens Wage Credit, offering businesses a credit up to 15 percent for hiring formerly incarcerated individuals. The franchise tax exemption has been reduced to $10,000 for qualifying businesses, not eliminated as previously planned, and the research and development tax credit continues to support innovation. These updates come as Illinois reports its highest-ever hotel revenue and a tourism boost, with 112 million visitors spending $47 billion in 2023, according to figures from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.At the community level, Governor Pritzker announced $6.3 million in grants for tourism, supporting the expansion and creation of new events, festivals, and attractions throughout the state. The state also extended the Tamara Clayton Expressway Camera Act, enabling authorities to use expressway cameras in cases of human trafficking or involuntary servitude investigations. In education, changes to teacher evaluation and dismissal processes are in place. Infrastructure projects continue, with fieldwork made easier in some regions due to recent weather, but concerns remain over ongoing drought in parts of northern Illinois. Public safety reforms include permanent assessment waivers for certain traffic code violations in counties with over three million residents.Illinois’ environmental story is dominated by recent extreme heat following a seasonably cool early June, with highs reaching the low to mid-90s and humidity driving heat indexes into the triple digits. While southern Illinois experienced heavy rainfall, some central and northern areas are still dealing with moderate drought and below normal soil moisture. The Illinois Environmental Council notes ongoing challenges with smoke from Canadian wildfires affecting air quality, and advocates are pushing for further climate legislation to address renewable energy and grid reliability. Policy debates over public transit funding, microplastic pollution in Lake Michigan, and energy price spikes are ongoing, reflecting continued policy tension as the state transitions from fossil fuels to renewables.Looking ahead, listeners can expect ongoing debate over tax policy, school funding, climate initiatives, and economic development as the state implements its historic budget. Key court and legislative decisions on issues such as public transit funding, environmental protection, and education reforms are forthcoming, with weather and agricultural updates to remain a priority through the summer. Thank you for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.Some great Deals https://amzn.to/49SJ3QsFor more check out http://www.quietplease.ai
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