Blogs

Advocacy Alert: Call to Action — File Witness Slips in Opposition to HB 4416

posted 7 days ago
HB 4416 (Evans; D-Chicago) would create a costly, ongoing unfunded mandate by making educational support personnel eligible for unemployment benefits during scheduled school breaks. Why it matters: Estimated $452 million annual statewide cost with no state funding source Significant increases to district unemployment insurance costs Reduced resources for classrooms, ...

Advocacy Alert: A New Legislative Session Begins

posted 01-24-2025
Kicking Off the 104th General Assembly This Advocacy Alert kicks off what will likely be a weekly communication, keeping you informed of all the developments in Springfield from now until the conclusion of the spring legislative session and the passage of the final budget at the end of May. The 104th General Assembly is preparing for what is anticipated to be an eventful legislative session, ...

DAA Briefs: January 2025

posted 01-17-2025
DAA Briefs: The Start of the 104th Assembly The Delegate Advisory Assembly (DAA) is a platform for Illinois ASBO members to discuss pending legislation and other policy or compliance-related issues. The DAA met on Wednesday, January 15 to discuss issues that impact Illinois school districts and upcoming legislative events. Tier Two Pension Update Government Relations Specialist ...

Key Updates from the Lame Duck Session

posted 01-09-2025
Legislative Updates from Lame Duck Session Impacting School Districts During the recent lame duck session, legislators convened in Springfield for four days to address a range of legislative priorities. Among the notable bills that passed was SB 457 , sponsored by Representative Olickal (D-Chicago) and Senator Villivalam (D-Chicago). This legislation, which directly affects school districts, ...

Advocacy Alert — July Bill Signing Update

posted 07-30-2024
Happy Tuesday! We hope you are all having a fantastic summer and are preparing for another exciting school year in your districts! Although the national political landscape has been eventful this summer, it has pretty much been business as usual in Springfield with a handful of bill signings and basic regulatory functions. Below we have highlighted a few items that have emerged and been ...

Advocacy Alert: June Bill Signing Update

posted 06-13-2024
Budget, and BIMP and Bonds, Oh My! As the legislative session comes to a close, the flurry of activity shifts from the chambers of debate to the governor's desk. With the session now ended, the Governor is picking up his pen to sign into law the bills that have navigated the legislative process. The bill signing activity commenced last week with several key pieces of legislation being approved. ...

Final Legislative Action of the 103rd General Assembly’s Spring Session

posted 05-29-2024
And That’s a Wrap! Although we had heard members of the 103rd General Assembly (GA) expected to be finished up early Sunday morning, unfortunately, that was not the end result for the Spring 2024 session. In order for that to happen, all bills would have needed to be filed by Friday evening, and although an initial version of the budget bill was filed, both chambers adjourned late into the ...

Legislative Update: Still Awaiting a Budget Bill, but Action Winding Down

posted 05-24-2024
A Few More Days! Although we kept our hopes up that the 103rd Illinois General Assembly would adjourn today, as of the timing of this update, we have yet to see a budget bill filed. Both chambers are still here in Springfield and appear to be planning to continue action through the weekend with hopes of final adjournment on Sunday. We continue to await the filing of the budget bill, the budget ...

Advocacy Alert: The Final Countdown to Adjournment (Maybe...)

posted 05-17-2024
It’s the Final Countdown (maybe…) Another week closer to adjournment, and what a week it was! Although most of the bill action is winding down with the exception of a few last second filings, budget discussions are ramping up in caucus meetings, subject matter hearings and legislator working groups. Below are highlights from committee hearings this week: Senate Education Committee ...

Advocacy Alert: Your Weekly Update

posted 05-10-2024
Adventures in Legislating: Your Weekly General Assembly Update! As we navigate the latest from the Illinois General Assembly, we wanted to provide you with a comprehensive update on the week's legislative developments. This week saw significant behind the scenes activity surrounding SB 2568 (Villa; D-West Chicago), a bill that has been a focal point of our attention since February and seeks ...

Call to Action: Protect Your 403b Options!

posted 05-08-2024
We are reaching out to bring your attention to a critical matter that directly impacts our members’ financial well-being and freedom. We have been working to negotiate SB 2568 (Villa; D-West Chicago) since February of this session. With the legislation, the Senator intends to limit the available 403b plan options to all school district employees to only those that meet certain specifications. ...

Legislative Progress Update: May Edition

posted 05-03-2024
Inside the Capitol: Committee Highlights and Pending Legislation As April showers allow May flowers to bloom, so does the action in the legislature! After a week-long break, the chambers are lacing up their negotiation sneakers and sprinting back to the legislative track. It’s budget season, and appropriations negotiations take center stage. But hold onto your hats, because it's not just ...

Legislative Updates from House Deadline Week

posted 04-19-2024
Legislative Highlights from Another Action-Packed Week! Happy Friday! Unsurprisingly, we have had another action-packed week at the Capitol as the House approached its third reading deadline today. The week has been marked by last minute bill amendments, shell bill filings, hastily scheduled committee hearings and lengthy floor debates. Below are some highlights from subject matter hearings ...

Advocacy Alert: Senate 3rd Reading Wrap-Up & House Committee Highlights

posted 04-12-2024
Insights from Senate 3rd Reading Deadline & House Committee Updates Happy Friday! As we reflect on the events of the Senate’s third reading deadline week, it is evident that our collective advocacy efforts continue to shape the future of education policy in Illinois. From engaging discussions to pivotal decisions to filed witness slips, this week underscored the importance of making ...

Call to Action: Oppose HB 3907 on Mandatory Prep Time (Round 2)

posted 04-10-2024
We are reaching out today with another urgent Call to Action regarding HB 3907 (Stuart; D-Collinsville) a bill that proposes mandating 45 minutes of uninterrupted, individual preparation time per day for all educators. Thanks in large part to collective advocacy efforts last week, the bill was not called for a hearing. Unfortunately, the bill is posted again for this week and may be called ...

Advocacy Alert: House Committee Deadline Week

posted 04-05-2024
Happy Friday! Amidst the gray clouds that have blanketed our skies this week, there has been a whirlwind of activity echoing through the halls of the Capitol. As we bid farewell to House Committee Deadline Week, numerous pieces of legislation have successfully progressed out of committee, marked by collaborative agreements to refine and further discuss these important matters. Below is a recap ...

Call to Action: Oppose HB 3907 on Mandatory Prep Time

posted 04-02-2024
We are reaching out today with an urgent Call to Action regarding HB 3907 (Stuart; D-Collinsville) a bill that proposes mandating 45 minutes of uninterrupted preparation time per day for all educators. This bill has been scheduled for consideration by the House Elementary and Secondary Education: Administration, Licensing & Charter Schools Committee on Wednesday, April 3, at 2:00 pm ...

Advocacy Alert: Election Week Update

posted 03-22-2024
Happy Friday! As the dust settled from the primary election on Tuesday, the General Assembly reconvened in Springfield on Wednesday afternoon to resume the committee process for a variety of bill proposals. Today’s Advocacy Alert provides updates on the week’s legislative developments that impact education, including bills addressing school curriculum, policies and crucial funding matters. See below ...

Advocacy Alert: Senate Committee Deadline Week

posted 03-15-2024
As the curtains draw to a close on Senate Committee Deadline Week, and with the primary election looming on Tuesday, the corridors of government and the intricacies of politics have been bustling with anticipation. We experienced another somewhat understated week at the Capitol - legislatively, that is. You have likely heard by now that the Capitol did experience a lockdown on Tuesday following a possible ...