GOVERNOR’S HIGHLIGHTS:
Healthcare Benefits for Immigrants: The Department of Healthcare and Family Services filed a provider notice on Tuesday instructing providers to not charge cost sharing for individuals in the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults and Health Benefits for Immigrant Senior programs. According to the notice, providers should not charge cost-sharing for this population until further notice and any cost-sharing that providers may have already collected must be returned to the customer. HFS system programming to deduct the cost-sharing amounts from provider payment needs to be completed prior to providers implementing co-pays or coinsurance. Read the provider notice here.
Homeowner Assistance Fund Program Ending: The Illinois Housing Development Authority announced the Illinois Homeowner Assistance Fund will no longer accept applications beginning at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. ILHAF supports qualified homeowners with grants of up to $60,000 for past-due mortgage payments, property taxes, property insurance and homeowner and/or condo association fees. Read more here.
Department of Children and Family Services: The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is launching a child welfare dashboard and a study of child protection services in an effort to increase transparency and accountability. Read more here.
LIHEAP: The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program will accept applications from October 2, 2023, through August 15, 2024, or until funds are exhausted. Eligible families can apply by visiting
helpillinoisfamilies.com or by visiting their local agency (a list of partners throughout the State can be found here). The tiered application system – which was paused during the pandemic – will resume this year. The tiered application system will be reinstated to ensure families most in need are able to apply first. The first group eligible to apply is expected to represent more than half of households that apply for the program.
Gubernatorial Appointments: The Governor appointed Karen Weigert to serve as a member of the Clean Energy Jobs and Justice Fund.
103rd ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY:
The Illinois General Assembly returns for the Fall Veto Session October 24 – 26 and November 7 -9.
OTHER NEWS:
2024 Election Update: More candidates announced their intentions this week as candidates for state and local office began circulating nominating petitions this week for the March 19, 2024 primary election. The petition filing period runs November 27 through December 4.
Former State Representative Tom Demmer has decided not to run for the Senate seat being vacated by Republican Senator Win Stoller who is not seeking reelection. Demmer ran unsuccessfully for State Treasurer in 2022.
Republican Ela Township Trustee Tosi Ufodike announced she will challenge Freshman Democratic Representative Nabeela Syed in the 51st House District.
Republican Michele Hunter will challenge Democratic Representative Mary Beth in the 54th House District. This is a rematch from 2022.
Kirk Ortiz will challenge freshman Representative Lilian Jiménez in the Democrat primary in the 4th House District.
Republican Patrycja Karlin has filed to run against Representative Jaime Andrade in the 40th House District.
Republican Sean Dwyer will challenge Representative Sonya Harper in the 6th House District.
Democrat Jackie Williamson will once again challenge Representative Amy Grant in the 47th House District. Williamson lost by 6 points in 2022.
Marsha Webb will challenge Representative Brad Halbrook in the Republican primary in the 107th House District.
Republican Desi Anderson will challenge first-term Democratic Representative Sharon Chung in the 91st House District.
Appointed Representative John Egofske is not seeking reelection. Egofske is endorsing former Homer Glen Trustee and special needs advocate Republican Nicole La Ha Zwiercan as his replacement.
Republican Jim Carris is running for Congress in 10th District, which is represented by Democratic Congressman Brad Schneider.
Democrat Zoey Carter is challenging Representative Weaver in the 93rd District.
COGFA August Revenue Report: The Illinois General Assembly’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability issued its August Revenue Report. From the Report:
“August base revenues deposited into the State’s General Funds slowed from July’s strong start, with
a slight decline of $34 million. However, when combined with July’s base growth of $396 million,
revenues are up a combined $362 million to start the fiscal year, perhaps indicating a timing element
to the first two month’s collection activity. The value of the August decline falls to -$214 million
when factoring in last August’s $180 million in ARPA reimbursements. August had the same number
of receipting days as last year.
Overall, the value of the increases/decreases in August were relatively modest. Personal Income Tax
receipts experienced the largest decrease with a decline of -$38 million or -$36 million when
accounting for distributions to the Refund Fund and the Local Government Distributive Fund
(LGDF). Corporate Income Taxes also slowed from its strong July numbers with a decline of -$23
million, or -$17 million on a net basis. Other State tax sources with declines include Other Sources
[-$26 million]; Public Utility Taxes [-$14 million]; and the Corporate Franchise Tax [-$5 million].
The August declines were mostly offset by gains in several other State revenue sources. The largest
year-over-year improvement came from Interest on State Funds & Investments, which grew $23
million thanks to comparatively higher interest rates (see page 4). Insurance Taxes bounced back
from its low July numbers with a gain of $20 million. In addition, Inheritance Tax receipts were $18
million higher. Sales Tax receipts saw modest improvement with growth of $15 million. But this
growth falls to only +$3 million when accounting for the non-General Funds distributions to the
Road Fund and certain other transportation funds.
Transfers In for the State’s General Funds were mixed with an overall gain of only $2 million. Lottery
Transfers rose $15 million but this growth was essentially erased by declines in Casino Gaming
Transfers [-$6 million]; Other Transfers [-$5 million]; and Cannabis Transfers [-$2 million].
Base revenues received from Federal Sources in August nearly matched last August’s strong month
of receipts with a slight decline of -$2 million. However, if the $180 million in non-base federal
dollars receipted in August 2022 from the ARPA Reimbursement for Essential Government Services
are included into the equation, Federal Sources were actually down $182 million for the month.”
Read the full report here.