Corruption/Ethics
Illinois House begins investigation into indicted Rep. Carol Ammons
Illinois lawmakers on Thursday began investigating alleged misconduct by Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana, that was outlined in a federal indictment.
Ammons pleaded not guilty on July 16 to 10 felony charges, including wire fraud, lying to the FBI and conspiring to obstruct justice. Her husband, Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons, also faces a conspiracy charge. Their daughter, Titianna Ammons, was not charged in the case despite being a key figure at the center of it, though she is facing separate federal unemployment fraud charges.
The House Special Investigating Committee was triggered by a Republican petition that largely mirrored the indictment, alleging Ammons engaged in inappropriate and illegal behavior. While the committee will decide whether the 11-year state representative engaged in conduct unbecoming of a legislator, it’s just the first step in a long process that could ultimately lead to her punishment.
And after introducing the House Republicans’ charges against Ammons, the committee voted unanimously to consult with the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois to find out if the committee’s action would interfere with the federal investigation. The committee will not meet again or conduct a deeper investigation until the U.S. attorney responds. […]
“As members of the Illinois House of Representatives, we are held to a higher ethical standard, and we must hold each other to that high ethical standard as we make sure to take care of this institution,” Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer, R-Murrayville, said as he introduced the GOP’s petition to initiate the investigation.
Eleven Republicans signed a slimmed down petition that tasks the committee with investigating five counts that Ammons abused state funds. Their initial petition contained nine charges, which included campaign finance law violations.
Davidsmeyer said the GOP decided to focus on violations related to state tax dollars, believing issues surrounding campaign contributions and lying to federal agents could be explored another time. […]
State Representative Dan Ugaste, one of the Republicans serving on the bipartisan Special Investigation Committee consisting of three Republicans and three Democrats, said the committee does not take the task of reviewing potential misconduct by one of its members lightly.
“The task before the committee is not one to be taken lightly,” said Ugaste. “It must be done in a transparent way that seeks the truth, ensures Rep. Ammons is treated fairly and protects the integrity of the Illinois House of Representatives. The people of this state deserve to know that their elected officials are being good stewards of the public trust.”
Read more from Capitol News Illinois.
Budget
CGFA releases Fiscal Year 2027 budget analysis
The State of Illinois budget for Fiscal Year 2027, HB 111, was passed by the Democratic majority and signed into law as P.A. 104-464. The fiscal year, which began on July 1, 2026, will see the spending of tens of billions of dollars in Illinois taxpayer funds. The budget as enacted was turned over to nonpartisan analysis by the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (CGFA).
The FY27 budget appropriated State spending of almost $224.6 billion. It should be noted that much of this spending consists of mandated pass-throughs of Special State Funds, debt service funds, and capital expenditures. In many cases, appropriated moneys for items like capital expenditures are not actually spent, and the appropriations language is rolled over from one year to the next. The slice of the pie that is always the focus of discussion is the “general funds” budget, which in FY27 is slated to spend $55.946 billion in taxpayer funds. The money Illinois residents pay in income tax, sales tax, excise taxes on alcohol and tobacco, and certain other State taxes go into “general funds” and are spent in the General Funds budget.
It is this General Funds spending document within which the constitutional duty of Illinois to annually balance its budget hits with special force. In contrast to the “general funds,” if moneys do not come into the Road Fund, then the implementation of a bridge or highway project can be delayed until a point is some future year. General Funds spending, by contrast, is often legally encumbered. It includes essential day-to-day expenses such as paychecks for correctional officers and troopers with the Illinois State Police. It also includes essential month-to-month cash flows such as school aid, on which local school districts depend. If Illinoisans lose their jobs and stop paying employer-withheld State income tax, or if they cut back on their spending and lessen their payments of State sales and use tax, these shortfalls of incoming State tax revenue will create urgent “general funds” problems for Springfield.
The CGFA FY27 budget report makes clear that the budget relies on almost $800 million/year in new “general funds” revenues. These revenues are raised through a series of new taxes and diversions from other sources, including so-called “fund sweeps.” Lawmakers in Springfield consistently want to spend more money than the State is scheduled to bring in, which leads to new taxes and other budget gimmicks. In the FY27 budget package, the statutory changes to the revenue laws governing State general funds included:
- Targeted advertising services tax
- Digital asset (crypto) tax
- Social media platform fee
- Net operating loss (NOL) deduction cap
- Motor fuel tax increase suspension
- EPA filing fee increase
- Coal Technology Development Assistance Fund transfer
- New distribution language for EPA tire fee
- New language on cigarette tax electronic filing and fees
- Remote retailers and tobacco product changes
- Temporary casino license extensions
- Decoupling from Qualified Small Business Stock Exclusion
- Tax on Prediction Markets
- Pass-Through Entity tax method selection
- Fantasy Contests Tax and new master sports wagering licenses
- Sales tax distribution changes
Relying on new taxes and diverting funds from one bucket of funds to another bucket does not address the long-term structural fiscal challenges faced by the State. Instead, this short-term-minded behavior pushes the accumulating fiscal problems of Illinois off until the next fiscal year. Then in the following year, the authors of next year’s State budget will have to find even more creative or destructive ways to balance the budget. If history is an indicator of what is to come, we can expect another round of State tax increases next year.
Illinois House Republicans voted against HB 111, the FY27 State of Illinois budget, in May 2026. There were many reasons for these “no” votes, with one of them being that the budget fails to meet the constitutional requirements of a balanced budget. The CGFA report on the FY27 State of Illinois budget confirms that the fundamental requirements of a structurally balanced budget were not met.
Immigration/Public Safety
Another Sanctuary State Failure
Sanctuary state policies continue to put our communities at risk. Last week, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained an illegal immigrant who was allegedly found with eight Molotov cocktails after he had previously been granted pretrial release under the SAFE-T Act. Illinois policies should put the safety of our citizens first—not make it easier for dangerous individuals to return to our communities.
Taxes
School Supply Sales Tax Holiday Underway
Illinois’ temporary sales tax reduction on school supplies began on August 7 and runs through August 16. During this period, the state sales tax rate will be reduced on qualifying school supplies, clothing, and footwear priced under $125.
The tax exemption will exempt sales from the so-called “State share” of the sales tax for the entire holiday period. This “State share” is 5% of the total cost of the item being sold. After that date, the full sales tax will once again be charged on school supplies and clothing that cost less than $125 per item.
Illinois State Fair
State Fair begins Thursday, August 13
The 11-day Illinois State Fair kicks off Thursday. On the slate of events are grandstand concerts, smaller-stage concerts, agricultural prize contests, festival food trucks and booths, the Illinois Natural Areas space on the northwest sector of the fairgrounds, and many special events. An online calendar of events will be updated daily.