Taxes, Affordability, Education, and 100th Year of Route 66

State Rep. Mike Coffey and his Republican colleagues Discuss Democrat Tax Hikes and Affordability for Illinois Families.

Representative Coffey said Illinois Democrats will blame the federal government to raise taxes.

"Illinois Democrats are creating more tax hikes behind closed doors as families struggle with the high cost of living in Illinois," said Coffey. "We must end the trend of Democrats overspending and using the pockets of taxpayers to fund bad public policies. Other states are lowering taxes and seeing great success with their economies , but Illinois Democrats are working to tax more and blame the federal government so they can continue wasteful spending. They need to be held accountable and they need to work with House Republicans to bring affordability back to our state."

House Republican State Representatives Dave Severin and Kyle Moore held a Zoom press conference last Wednesday to alert Illinois taxpayers about two pending legislative proposals that would increase taxes on campfires and grocery bags.

Representative Severin provided details on HB 4459, which would impose a new $5 tax on backyard campfires and burn pits, and HB 5112, which would create a new graduated tax scheme for plastic, paper, and even reusable grocery bags.

"The campfire tax would charge up to $5 for permits for open burns, including backyard fire pits and campfires, with high potential fines for non-compliance," Severin said. "Under the all-kinds-of grocery-bags tax proposal, every carryout bag-paper, plastic, and even reusable bags would be taxed, and the tax would automatically increase every year. Between taxing your backyard campfire and the bags you would use to carry home the S'mores you planned to make at that campfire, Democrats want to be in your pocket every step of the way," Severin said.

The grocery bag tax proposal would impose a 10-cent per bag tax in 2027, 15 cents in 2028, 20 cents in 2029, and 25 cents in 2030.

Representative Moore issued a challenge to rank-and-file Democrats to speak out against the proposed tax hikes.

"When we see legislation like a grocery bag tax or a campfire tax introduced in Springfield, House Republicans are going to call it out for what it is - an assault on your wallet, and we won't stand for it," Moore said. "I call on my Democrat colleagues to do the same. If you truly care about affordability, let's hear you say it, "I oppose the grocery bag tax." "I oppose the campfire tax."

Representative Coffey

House and Senate legislators will be in Springfield at the same time for the first time next week, when Governor Pritzker is slated to deliver his combined State of the State and Budget Address.

Massive new motor fuel, electricity tax proposed for Climate Change Superfund

State Representative Mike Coffey will be a NO vote on HB4773 if called for a vote in the House.

Not content with existing taxes levied on Illinoisans, many Democrats are taking the opportunity created by the spring 2026 session to fight to create new ones. One of the largest proposed new tax bills is HB 4773 from Democratic Rep. Robyn Gabel. This measure would create what the sponsor calls a "Climate Change Superfund." Taxes would be levied from parties guilty of what is called "liability for climate change." The money would then be paid directly to a new special State fund and program, which would make payouts to "projects that directly benefit disadvantaged communities facing climate change."

Although the wording of HB 4773 is coy about who would pay the taxes used to makes these public-sector grants, the terms and conditions of the proclaimed "liability" are aimed directly at fossil fuels. Liable parties would include oil refiners, electric utilities that burn coal and natural gas to generate electric power, and natural gas utilities. These business firms could be pronounced "liable" for climate change. They would then be forced to extract money from their customers to be paid over into the new Climate Change Superfund.

While traditional tax policy requires the passage of a law in the Illinois General Assembly, the money to be raised by this proposal if it were to become law would be charged as a bill against the "liable" parties by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). The IEPA, a state agency, would charge the tax not by passing a law, but by adopting an administrative rule. Voters opposed to this new tax would not have the right to vote against anyone responsible for it. It should be noted that the imposition of massive new taxes by British administrative action was one of the key points raised by Thomas Jefferson in the text of the Declaration of Independence, adopted 250 years ago this year.

Education Opportunities in Illinois

School scholarship tax credit on the ballot in more than 20 Illinois counties. One of the issues before the Illinois House and Senate in spring 2026 will be the question of enabling Illinois taxpayers to enjoy eligibility for a new federal tax credit. A major change to federal tax law, enacted in 2025, authorizes eligible taxpayers to utilize an income tax credit for money they donate to an approved educational scholarship foundation. The federal law creates a dollar-for-dollar income tax credit, generating potential benefits for taxpayers and Illinois schools alike, but full enjoyment of the credit cannot be implemented until each U.S. state takes a required legal step to certify the scholarship-granting nonprofits that are meant to be beneficiaries of the tax-credited donations.

Another requirement of the new federal law is that the approved educational scholarship foundations must spend the donations in such a way as to meet the educational needs of at-risk students. Traditionally, the leaders in doing this have been private elementary and secondary schools, which use donations like these (in the states that encourage them by law) to provide tuition scholarships to students. Advocates for public schools are now pointing out, however, that an increasing number of Illinois public school districts and jurisdictions are setting up tax-exempt foundations to encourage donation activity. Traditionally in Illinois, public school foundations are set up to encourage the donation of deductible income. With the new 2025 federal law, though, much of this donation activity could switch over to tax-credit activities in the states that sign on to the new federal tax credit, potentially multiplying benefits for taxpayers in the states that sign on.

The new federal/state program applies to eligible gifts of up to $1,700 per year to scholarship-graining nonprofits. The nonprofits are required to spend this money to benefit households with annual incomes of less than 300% of the local median income. Unfortunately, Gov. Pritzker has not yet taken the necessary steps to opt Illinois into the program.

"Illinois should opt-in to the federal Educational Choice for Children Act, which is why I cosponsor HR0427. I believe expanding opportunities for our students benefit their educational outcomes and school choice programs should be available to all students here in Illinois."

In order to weigh in on this debate, more than 20 Illinois counties, together with many townships, have added an Illinois scholarship tax credit question onto their March 2026 primary ballots. The question will ask voters to advise the State of Illinois on whether voters support or oppose opting into this federal program and creating expanded income tax credits for Illinoisans. These questions will be treated as advisory referendums and results of the referendums will be published along with the other results of the March 2026 primary election.

This year marks the 100th birthday of America's Mother Road

Centennial celebration kicks off for historic Route 66. In the 1920s, Illinois was a leader in the creation of America's culture of cars and road trips. Retail giants, such as Chicago's Sears, Roebuck & Co., wanted paved roads so goods could be delivered to local stores and post offices. Illinoisans were buying Ford's 'Model T,' and wanted paved roads so they could see how fast their new cars could go. In 1920, the state elected Republican Governor Len Small. His top priority: build new concrete highways across the Prairie State. By the time the road-building governor left office, 8,000 miles of highway had been laid out and paved across Illinois, helping to bring Chicago and Downstate together.

One of these Illinois roads, a diagonal pavement to connect Chicago with the Mississippi River near St. Louis, became a key segment of one of America's most historic highways. Planners had created a grand national road plan of roads that would go straight north-and-south, and straight east-and west. Seeing Illinois's new paved road, planners in Missouri and Oklahoma decided, in spring 1926, to mess around a little with the national plan. They joined with Illinois to tell Washington, D.C. that the states would get together to draw an unplanned new national road. This additional new highway would be a diagonal, called 'U.S. Highway 66,' to connect Chicago and Los Angeles. The Chicago-St. Louis paved road, already built in 1926, would be the first leg of the new highway. Small businesses in Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, and western states would be invited to set up shop on Route 66, serve motorists, and help create an American road experience.

Other states promptly agreed with the Illinois-Missouri-Oklahoma plan. On November 11, 1926, Route 66 was officially born. This year marks the 100th birthday of America's Mother Road, which will be celebrated in communities across Illinois from Chicago to Madison County. Illinois' Route 66 kickoff celebrations began in Granite City on Monday, February 9.