CRIMINAL LAW
House Republicans Working to Restore Public Safety. House Republican lawmakers held a press conference in the Capitol on March 12, 2025, to discuss the dire state of public safety in Illinois and present their pathway forward, aiming to deliver a state where families can succeed.
As the Democratic majority continues to prioritize criminal justice reforms at the expense of public safety, House Republican Floor Leader Patrick Windhorst, Assistant Minority Leader John Cabello, and State Representative Dennis Tipsword spoke about the reality Illinois families face across the state.
While public safety issues continue to rise, House Republicans have put thoughtful, viable solutions forward that aim to keep families safe, back law enforcement, and ensure criminals are held accountable.
Included in the legislative package rolled out on Wednesday:
- HB 1028 – Cabello – SAFE-T Act repeal
- HB 2804 – McCombie – Fentanyl – adds penalties to those who traffic and market fentanyl to children
- HB 1478 – Windhorst – Creates the offense of fentanyl child endangerment
- HB 77 – Haas – Schedules xylazine as a Schedule III controlled substance
- HB 3206 – Sheehan – Enhances penalties for fleeing and eluding
- HB 3406 – Sheehan – Allows forfeiture for any vehicle used for fleeing and eluding
- HB 1743 – Tipsword – requiring DHS to move a person who has been committed for mental health treatment out of the county jail within 20 days.
Changes to Pre-Trial Fairness Act (SAFE-T Act – cash bail provisions)
- HB 1479 – Windhorst – revocation of pretrial release
- HB 1482 – Windhorst – expends the detention net for pre-trial release
- HB 1483 – Windhorst – pre-trial release – warrants for failure to comply with the pretrial release conditions
McCombie Moves Bill to Protect Victims of Sexual Assault. I passed legislation in the Illinois House Insurance Committee to prohibit co-pays for sexual assault exams. I presented the measure, calling it a commonsense bill to further protect sexual assault victims: “This bill will help victims of sexual assault, giving assurance that they do not have to carry an added burden. They should not be victimized on any level.”
House Bill 2805 has gained bipartisan support, including the backing of Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, and will now move forward in the Illinois House for further confirmation.
DEMOCRATS’ MISPLACED PRIORITIES
House Republicans slam Democrats’ bad bills & misplaced priorities. At a Capitol news conference Tuesday, House Republicans slammed the bad bills and misplaced priorities of the Democratic supermajority. Assistant Republican Leader C.D. Davidsmeyer, along with State Representatives Bill Hauter and Jennifer Sanalitro took aim at recent Democrat-backed bills that fail to address Illinois’ biggest challenges.
Davidsmeyer accused Democrats of doubling down on their failed immigration policies. House Bill 2706 would further restrict local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities and close so-called “loopholes” in the TRUST Act. House Bill 3780 would provide universal health care for all individuals residing in Illinois, regardless of immigration status.
Rather than working with Republicans to provide relief to hardworking taxpayers and bring down the cost of living, Democrats are once again looking to raise taxes.
“SJRCA 4 is another progressive income tax increase,” Davidsmeyer said. “Illinois voters already defeated this tax hike in 2020. On Governor Pritzker’s watch, the State has spent an additional $15 billion since voters resoundingly rejected Pritzker’s tax hike.”
Representative Davidsmeyer listed some of the other bad bills that Democrats have introduced:
- HB 3518 would legalize prostitution and provide sex workers rights
- HB 1594 would make obesity a protected class
- No Voter ID to protect election integrity; instead…Vote-from-Prison (HB 2)
- Environmental justice communities (HB 1608), grocery bag and plastic ware bans (HB 1146, HB 1600), and more Green New Deal scams
“None of these bad bills will reduce the cost of living for our families,” Davidsmeyer said. “Democrats should stop tripping on magic mushrooms, which is another bad bill of theirs, and start focusing on the real needs of Illinois families.”
“Instead of focusing on state finances, or any number of the serious challenges our state faces, we see the true priorities of the Democrats in Illinois,” Rep. Hauter added.
Republicans have introduced real solutions to provide tax relief, including two Sanalitro sponsored bills eliminating taxes on tips and overtime pay, which would reduce the financial burden on working Illinoisans.
PROPERTY TAXES
House Republicans Unveil Legislative Package to Deliver Property Tax Relief. Illinois House Republican lawmakers unveiled their legislative bill package to deliver property tax relief to residents across the state. Assistant Minority Leader Dan Ugaste and State Representatives Joe Sosnowski and Tom Weber discussed the impact that high property taxes have had on Illinois, and the Democratic majority’s inaction and refusal to provide relief.
Illinois has some of the highest property taxes in the country and has seen residents fleeing to states with friendlier tax environments. House Republican lawmakers are fighting to stop the reckless neglect of taxpayers and bring down property taxes, including the following measures:
HB 0009 – Ugaste- Property Tax Relief
HB 1321 – Ugaste- Tax District Surplus
HB 1746 – Sosnowski- Homestead Exemption
HB 2543 – Sosnowski- Taxpayer Empowerment
HB 3723 – Sosnowski- Senior Exemption
HB 3724 – Sosnowski- General Homestead
HB 4010 – Weber- Property Tax Extensions
HB 4011 – Weber- Assessment Limit
Representative Dan Ugaste has been a vocal advocate for property tax relief, especially as a means to deliver organic growth in local communities.
“High property taxes are crushing Illinois families,” stated Rep. Ugaste. “The situation is not getting any better, and the latest studies show we pay the second-highest property taxes in the nation. House Republicans have introduced a number of bills and have solutions that can provide property tax relief, and it’s time for those proposals to be considered.”
A few weeks ago, Governor JB Pritzker released his annual budget proposal, which spends $2 billion more than the previous fiscal year and lacks any meaningful reform to help seniors, families, and business from the crushing weight of property taxes.
Representative Weber noted that the current budget proposal shows just how out-of-touch the Democratic majority is with the everyday Illinoisan and pointed to the totally ineffective 2019 Property Tax Relief Tax Force as proof.
“Years of reckless spending and unbalanced budgets have led the majority party to endlessly drive up property taxes with no end in sight, and many Illinoisans simply cannot afford them,” said Rep. Weber. “Our caucus is committed to alleviating this strain by improving existing exemptions, capping year-over-year tax increases, and returning surplus revenue back to taxpayers in our state. By reducing the property tax burden placed on folks here in Illinois, we will create an environment where working families can not only get by, but thrive.”
Representative Joe Sosnowski’s legislation intends to help hard-pressed Illinois homeowners and families, particularly seniors on fixed incomes.
“Working families and homeowners need property tax relief, particularly seniors on fixed incomes,” said Rep. Sosnowski. “We have filed legislation to deliver relief and help reverse the outmigration of people leaving Illinois because of the increasing tax burden. If we compare ourselves to other states in the Midwest, if Illinois grew at the same rate as Indiana, Wisconsin, and Missouri we would have over a million more residents living in our state just over the last 10 years. When we lose people, it erodes the local tax base that supports schools and other vital services that families rely on. Property tax relief would have a direct positive impact on bringing people, jobs, and opportunity back to Illinois.”
According to WalletHub, Illinoisans face the highest effective state and local tax rates in the nation, making us the worst state for taxes. This trend cannot continue, and Illinois families need relief today. Check out more of their findings, including the best and worst states to be a taxpayer in here: https://wallethub.com/edu/best-worst-states-to-be-a-taxpayer/2416.
HOUSE REPUBLICANS REPRESENT EVERY ILLINOIS COUNTY & DELIVER SOLUTIONS.
Illinois House Republicans proudly represent communities across all 102 counties. Our members are dedicated to tackling the real problems facing Illinois families—whether it’s fighting for public safety, protecting taxpayers, or ensuring parental rights in education. Next week marks the final week for committee deadlines, and critical discussions will take place on major issues, including the ongoing redistricting lawsuit, immigration policies, homeschooling rights, human trafficking prevention, and much more. Stay tuned for updates as we continue working for you.
UPCOMING TRAVELING OFFICE HOURS
Mark your calendar for the next round of traveling office hours! This is a great opportunity to visit with my office while I am in Springfield and have your questions answered on state related issues.
