SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Lindsey LaPointe, D-Chicago, is urging Gov. J.B. Pritzker to sign legislation that would help seniors maintain a vital tax-saving exemption without reapplying annually, removing a burdensome process for Cook County seniors and preventing taxes from unfairly rising.

“Property taxes are hitting seniors the hardest, as many of them are living on a fixed income, and they deserve relief from these taxes,” LaPointe said. “Cook County should not be singled out when every other county has provisions in place to prevent taxes from needlessly increasing on their residents.”

LaPointe is calling on Pritzker to remove the burdensome annual application requirement Cook County seniors currently face in order to receive the Senior Citizen Homestead Exemption, by signing House Bill 833. The measure would allow local seniors to keep their exemption without reapplying. Cook County is currently the only county in Illinois where seniors are legally mandated to complete and submit paperwork annually just to apply for the exemption.

Nearly 30,000 seniors in Cook County lost their exemption as a result of this required in-person annual renewal process. Many people could have saved hundreds, if not thousands, had Cook County allowed seniors to keep their exemption.

“Governor Pritzker should sign this into law immediately, and make sure every Cook County senior receives the tax relief they deserve,” LaPointe said. “The people I represent cannot wait any longer for tax relief. We have an opportunity to provide relief, and this opportunity should be seized now.”

LaPointe represents the 19th District, which covers portions of Chicago’s Big Oaks, Dunning, Gladstone Park, Jefferson Park, Portage Park, Union Ridge and West Portage Park neighborhoods, and River Grove, Elmwood Park, Norridge and Harwood Heights.

CHICAGO, Ill. – State Rep. Karina Villa, D-West Chicago, recently joined Gov. J.B. Pritzker as he signed an executive order to ensure that everyone living in Illinois is counted in the upcoming census.

“As the daughter of immigrants, I believe that Donald Trump’s proposed citizenship status question on the upcoming census is an attack on our immigrant communities. Adding this question will not benefit Illinois, and will only deter residents from participating in the census,” said Villa. “It is critical to ensure that every person in Illinois is counted so that we have accurate representation in Congress. I applaud the governor for pushing to invest in census education and for working to maximize participation.”

Villa is partnering with Gov. Pritzker and leaders throughout the state to push for census education, encouraging every resident of Illinois to participate in the census. The number of congressional seats held by states is determined by population, so the number of representatives Illinois has in congress could be impacted by the results of the 2020 census.