Illinois General Assembly

T he General Assembly  will stay over another day and work on Saturday. Both chambers will be in session tomorrow morning.

Little substantive tax-related legislation was considered today.

SB 685 -(passed both houses today)   Amends the Property Tax Code. In a county with fewer than 3,000,000 inhabitants, provides for the permissive waiver of interest and penalties. Provides that, in counties with less than 3,000,000 inhabitants, the annual tax sale that would ordinarily be held in calendar year 2020 shall be held no earlier than (i) 120 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act or (2) until the first day of the first month during which there is no longer a statewide COVID-19 public health emergency, as evidenced by an effective disaster declaration of the Governor covering all counties in the State. In provisions concerning the homestead exemption for persons with disabilities, the homestead exemption for veterans with disabilities, and the senior citizens assessment freeze homestead exemption, provides that those exemptions may be granted without application for the 2020 taxable year if the property qualified for the exemption in the 2019 taxable year, subject to certain limitations related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Provides that under no circumstance may a tax year be offered at a scavenger sale prior to the annual tax sale for that tax year. Effective immediately.

SJR 1 - Passed both Houses on a partisan roll call vote.  This resolution provides the language the Secretary of State will send to every registered voter this fall on the proposed graduated income tax constitutional amendment.