SPRINGFIELD…Today, the Illinois Farm Bureau unveiled new legislation aimed at improving the Illinois Estate Tax. House Minority Leader Tony McCombie (Savanna) has spearheaded efforts throughout her tenure to address this problematic “death” tax, one that has disproportionately hurt family farms but also small businesses and manufacturing in Illinois. McCombie and members of her leadership team stand in support of the recently unveiled bipartisan proposal.

The Great Blizzard of 1978 paralyzed parts of the Midwest, including northern Illinois, for several days. The snowstorm caused significant damage and disruption and brought life to a standstill for thousands of people. The storm disrupted transportation and communication systems and caused widespread power outages. Travel was nearly impossible, and many small towns were dealt with impassable roads and downed phone and power lines. 

Chicago-based Levy has evolved into a leading sports and entertainment hospitality company. With more than 300 venues in North America, Levy provides food and beverage services for 112 professional sports teams. Levy serves four major stadiums/arenas in the Chicago area, including Wrigley Field, United Center, Guaranteed Rate Field, and Now Arena. Levy also has premium catering and concession contracts at 25 professional sports facilities and racetracks, along with six for general concessions. 

Cold winter days are a normal part of life every year for drivers in Illinois. There are some well-established truths, but also time-honored myths, about the best ways to safely warm up your vehicle on those cold days.

Beyond warming up the cabin or defrosting the windshield, letting the vehicle sit idling for an extended period of time is not recommended. This practice can lead to wasting fuel and generating needless emissions into the atmosphere. Older engines weren’t well lubricated with oil, so in the past warming up the car through several minutes of idling was the norm. But today, modern cars have improved technology and engines are fully lubricated within 20 to 30 seconds. 

The Illinois Department of Revenue will begin accepting 2023 state individual income tax returns on Monday, January 29. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) also begins accepting federal income tax returns on this date. For the most up-to-date information, forms, schedules, and instructions for the 2023 tax season, visit the IDOR’s website. 

CORRUPTION & ETHICS REFORM

House Republicans Renew Call for Ethics Reform. As the tangled web of Democrats’ corruption continues to unwind over and over in federal court, Illinois House Republicans have renewed calls for needed ethics reforms. The list of convictions continues to pile up, and the silence from the Democrat side of the aisle is deafening.

Earlier this week, State Representative Amy Grant announced a major advancement in easing the process for obtaining a driver’s license in Illinois. After numerous complaints from constituents about Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) procedures, Rep. Grant took decisive action by filing House Bill 1528.