Illinois

Repeal of Illinois Rent Control ban Stalls out in General Assembly

Published

1 week ago

April 23, 2024

Repeal of Illinois Rent Control ban Stalls out in General Assembly

Efforts to lift the state’s ban on rent control in the Illinois General Assembly have stalled for now, as bills introduced fail to gain traction. The push to fund a $20 million state affordable housing tax credit, however, was successful.

An Illinois Senate bill to lift the rent control ban, introduced in February by state Sen. Natalie Toro of Chicago’s 20th District, is on ice after it was not called in time to meet a legislative deadline.

The bill was not assigned to a committee before April 12, meaning it will not move forward this session, Toro’s spokesperson, Natalie Bak, said in an interview shortly before the deadline. It could still move forward if it is called in one of the body’s special sessions or resurrected in the fall.

Toro was not available for comment Monday, but said in a written statement that the bill continues to await assignment to committee.

“Fifty percent of renters in my city are paying more than 30 percent of their income in rent, leaving little leftover for other essential expenses,” Toro said in an Illinois Senate Democrats news release from February. “We need to fight to keep families in their homes, and I look forward to spearheading the initiative to do so.”

Toro’s bill, SB3484, seeks to repeal the Illinois Rent Control Preemption Act, passed in 1997 to prohibit municipalities from enacting measures that exert control over the amount of rent charged to tenants in their area.

A similar bill (HB4104) introduced in February in the Illinois House of Representatives garnered the support of 14 sponsors but has also lacked momentum, stalling in the body’s Rules Committee.

The Build Illinois Homes Tax Credit Act, on the other hand, was approved by the state Senate and the House last week, setting aside funds for a $20 million state affordable housing tax credit in the upcoming budget, according to reporting by Capitol News Illinois.

The Act, passed through HB4909 and SB3233, is modeled after the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and follows an unsuccessful bid from last year to appropriate $35 million in affordable housing tax credits.

Meanwhile, efforts to repeal the state’s rent control ban continue to fizzle out despite years of grassroots lobbying by organizers such as those with the Lift the Ban Coalition, formed in 2017.

Lift the Ban organizers point to the real estate lobby as its biggest adversary in the push to repeal the ban, according to an FAQ page on its website. Lobbying by the American Legislative Exchange Council, a conservative lobbying group, and lobbyists with the real estate industry got the rent control ban passed in 1997, the page states.

When asked about current legislative efforts to lift the rent control ban, a spokesperson for Illinois Realtors said its most recent lobbying work in Springfield has been focused elsewhere. Its governmental affairs team contacted Toro regarding her bill, and she told them she would not be calling it at this time.

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Illinois

Aurora teacher named 2024 Illinois Teacher of the Year

Published

41 mins ago

May 3, 2024

Press Room

Aurora teacher named 2024 Illinois Teacher of the Year

CHICAGO (CBS) — A fifth-grade teacher in Aurora has been named Illinois Teacher of the Year for 2024.

Illinois State Board of Education Chair Dr. Steven Isoye, Indian Prairie Community Unit School District 204 Superintendent Dr. Adrian Talley, and Georgetown Elementary School Principal Jill Keller surprised Dr. Rachael Mahmood with the award on Thursday.

Illinois State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tony Sanders chose Mahmood from 13 finalists from across the state.

Mahmood has been a teacher since 2005, spending the last nine years at Georgetown Elementary School in Aurora.

“Amidst an incredibly talented pool of educators across our state, Dr. Mahmood rose to the forefront,” Sanders said in a statement. “Despite never feeling like she belonged in school as a student, she became a teacher and found her calling.

“Her journey fuels her passion for making each of her students understand that they belong. She has a passion for the craft of teaching and embodies the qualities of an exceptional educator and inspiring leader.”

Mahmood is known for creating relationships with her students and their families that leave a lasting impact.

“Our role as educators is to adopt an asset-based mindset, leveraging the strengths, funds of knowledge, and social/cultural capital that each student brings to the classroom,” Mahmood said in her nomination materials for the award.

“By harnessing our students’ natural gifts, we inspire them to see that their ability to be successful, both inside and outside of the classroom, already lies within them. As we move with the natural gifts of our students, don’t forget they ride on the coattails of the strength and richness of their families and communities. We must not only partner with our communities but also learn from them.”

Mahmood will take a state-funded sabbatical from teaching for the 2024-25 school year to represent Illinois in the National Teacher of the Year program, serving as an ambassador for the teaching profession.

Todd Feurer

Todd Feurer is a web producer at CBS News Chicago. He has previously written for WBBM Newsradio, WUIS-FM, and the New City News Service.

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Illinois

Illinois OL Andrew Dennis commits to transferring to MSU

Published

7 hours ago

May 3, 2024

Press Room

Illinois OL Andrew Dennis commits to transferring to MSU

EAST LANSING, Mich. (WILX) – Andrew Dennis was originally committed to Michigan State back in the fall before Mel Tucker was fired. Then, on Oct. 16, Dennis decommitted due to the MSU head coach being fired.

The native of Mount Pleasant, Michigan, decided to sign with Illinois, but after a spring with the Fighting Illini, Dennis has committed to transferring to Michigan State.

Dennis is a 6-foot-5, 290-pound interior offensive lineman who was ranked as the No. 14 interior offensive lineman in the nation out of high school.

The announcement of his commitment to MSU came shortly after former OL Ethan Boyd decided to play for Colorado and Deion Sanders

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