Rock Island Today

For more than 30 years, many seniors in Illinois have been eligible for a Low-Income Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption on their taxes. To qualify, a person 65 or older must be the owner of record of the property (or have legal or equitable interest in it) and must be liable for paying the real estate taxes on the property. The law allows qualified seniors to have their home’s equalized assessed value (EAV) frozen to avoid significant increases in taxes due to inflation.

However, eligibility for the low-income exemption requires a total household income of $65,000 or less. A recent cost of living adjustment (COLA) has pushed many Illinoisans over that figure. With inflation and new EAVs of their property, some seniors are experiencing drastic increases in their homeowners' tax liability, sometimes even doubling.

Representative Dan Swanson is sponsoring legislation, House Bill 1074, which proposes raising the maximum income limitation to $73,700 to address this issue. "The way to solve this problem is to raise the maximum income limitation," Swanson said. However, he noted that his bill did not advance through the legislative process this spring.

In other news, Democrats’ overhaul of election laws was blocked by a judge. In early May, Democrats passed a major change to Illinois’ election laws midway through the election cycle. The new law altered rules for candidates seeking ballot access for this fall’s election by retroactively requiring them to run in the March primary rather than collecting petition signatures.

A lawsuit filed shortly after alleged that the new law violated Illinois’ constitutional right to vote by changing campaign laws mid-cycle. This month, a Sangamon County judge agreed and granted a permanent injunction blocking enforcement of the new law for this year’s election. The judge ruled that restricting ballot access under existing law was unconstitutional.

It remains unclear if an appeal will be filed against the judge's ruling.

Meanwhile, despite a U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down a federal ban on bump stocks and similar devices last week, Illinois' state-level ban remains unaffected. A spokesperson from the Illinois Attorney General’s office confirmed that the ruling did not impact state law; however, a separate challenge to Illinois' ban is still pending.

Illinois enacted its bump stock ban early last year following sweeping gun control legislation passed during January 2023's lame duck session. At that time, Illinois became the ninth state in the country with such a ban.

County fair season has also commenced with volunteers from Sons of The American Legion Post #1197 collecting admission fees at Henry County Fair gates. Representative Swanson and his wife Tammy volunteered at one gate near livestock buildings and greeted numerous young participants showing animals while wishing them good luck.

Additionally:

- A state officer team was elected at the Illinois FFA Convention.

- New Illinois laws will take effect on July 1.

- Tips were shared for staying safe in extreme heat.

- The emerald ash borer continues its spread through Illinois.

- ICC approved improvements for several Galesburg rail crossings.

- Corps of Engineers closed campgrounds and boat ramps due to Mississippi River flooding.