Illinois General Assembly: Top Democrats talk taxes, education and tech

Illinois lawmakers worked late into the night Sunday going into Monday morning to pass this year’s state budget. The $56 billion budget includes some new taxes on cryptocurrency, prediction markets, social media companies and more. It also includes a few new pieces of spending such as one-time payments for Illinoisans who’ve lost access to food assistance. 

There are progressives in the legislature who’d hoped for taxes on corporations and billionaires. Those didn’t make it in and Republicans in the super minority in both chambers voted against the budget, complaining about high spending and the new taxes.

Meanwhile, the House left town without voting on a measure to try to keep the Chicago Bears in Illinois, which the Senate passed earlier in the night. Over the past week, the legislature did pass AI regulations, a ban on cell phones in school classrooms and new state powers over auto and homeowners insurance rates. The Democrats who preside over those chambers share their thoughts on this year's budget.

GUESTS

Speaker Chris Welch 
D-Hillside, Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives

Don Harmon 
D-Oak Park, President of the Illinois State Senate