Peoria Standard

A group of Illinois House Republican lawmakers has introduced a legislative package aimed at providing financial relief to working families amid rising costs for groceries and utilities in the state. The proposed measures, called the Relief for Working Families legislative package, focus on encouraging entrepreneurship, supporting tipped employees, and expanding technical skill-building opportunities.

Rep. Brad Stephens is sponsoring House Bill 1752, which would allow employers to deduct from their income taxes any educational assistance provided to employees. “Too often the people in the Capitol focus on the wrong solutions: overregulation, tax increases and overspending will not fix our state. We can’t cut our way out of these budget issues. We must grow our economy,” said Stephens. “With this bill package, we can provide tangible financial relief for hardworking, taxpaying Illinoisans and begin to reshape our state into a destination not only for families, but for students, small businesses, and licensed professionals.”

House Bill 1351, known as the Reducing Barriers to Start Act and filed by Rep. Kyle Moore, seeks to eliminate many startup fees that new businesses face in their first year, including licensing or registration fees. Moore emphasized that small businesses have been responsible for creating over 70 percent of net new jobs since 2019 according to the U.S Treasury.

Education-related initiatives are also part of the package. Rep. Mike Coffey is sponsoring House Bill 1729 (the Reinvest in Future Technical Careers Act), which would offer tax credits to those who contribute funds toward scholarships for students attending technical academies. “This bill has really come about from conversations I have had during my ‘Mike on Main Street’ tour across the district meeting with different businesses. One common theme has come up every time: we don’t have enough workforce, we need more help,” Coffey said. “They say ‘We don’t have the technical support to fill these positions.’ So the hope is these scholarships will help train individuals to get into the workforce. We need more plumbers, we need more pipefitters, we need more electricians so that we can grow and build Illinois, and that’s the point of this.”

Rep. Kevin Schmidt’s HB 3807 proposes establishing the Illinois Trades Retention and Development Encouragement (ITRADE) grant program to assist students pursuing degrees or certifications in trades such as electrical work, plumbing, masonry, steelworking and construction.

House Deputy Republican Leader Ryan Spain filed House Bill 3821 to double the education expense income tax credit from $750 to $1500 annually for working families—a move intended to make education more affordable for those families.

Spain was elected as a Republican representative for Illinois’ 73rd District in 2017 after succeeding David R. Leitch.

“Many students decide to attend a technical school after graduating high school and this bill promotes the skilled trade industry and helps eligible students receive scholarship funds to pursue a degree or certificate from a qualified technical school in Illinois,” Schmidt said. “It’s important every student has the opportunity to excel in a career after graduating high school, and this bill is aimed to do just that.”

To address shortages of trained educators in manufacturing companies across Illinois—an issue identified by many employers—Rep. Jed Davis introduced House Bill 1112 allowing highly skilled trade workers without bachelor’s degrees to become educators.

Another measure sponsored by Spain—House Bill 1383—would create an income tax deduction on state returns for gratuities included on federal returns by tipped workers.

Despite support from Republicans throughout the spring session, these bills were blocked by Democrats but are expected to be reintroduced when lawmakers return in October.

“This package is called Relief for Working families because that’s what it will provide,” Moore said. “From furthering your education to starting a new business or simply keeping more of your hard-earned money in your own pocket. Working families need and deserve a break. Together these measures provide a great start to supporting working families and helping set them up for success.”