Over the last several months, ONE Northside dedicated our organization to fighting for state funding to make sure our communities thrive. In the face of the Trump administration’s gutting of social services, a state budget deficit, and a proposed budget by our governor that made cuts to valuable programs, we joined with partners across Illinois to make sure our state stepped up to make sure our communities were protected.
While we recognize the importance of funding important programs, we also want to make sure that new funding for these programs doesn’t come on the backs of working and poor people. The rich are getting richer and corporations’ profits keep growing, but wages are flat, and things are getting more expensive. We will continue to fight for a government that funds an expansive social safety net by taxing the ultra-rich and large corporations. Therefore this session, we lobbied for taxes that target just those groups.
Here are ONE Northside’s legislative priorities:
New revenue:
- A tax on digital advertising $1.1 billion (HB4894 / SB3353) – We won!
- Corporate tax worldwide combined reporting $1.2 billion (HB5318 / SB3486) – Did not win this year
- A billionaire wealth tax $916 mil (HB5215 / SB3376) – Did not win this year
- Decoupling from the federal tax bill and closing corporate loopholes $700 mil (HB5125 / SB3796) – Won $11m-$50m
Community investments:
- $1 million for ONE Northside Violence Prevention Program – We won $2.25 million!
- $20 million for Parent Mentor Program (ISBE Budget) – We won!
- $2.5 million for Parent Mentor Ladder of Opportunity Initiative – We won!
- $10M for Sustain the Housing Is Recovery Program (HB4812 – Jimenez /SB3165 – Guzman) – We won $8.2M
Revenue generating policies:
- Affordability Crisis in Housing Act (HB5615 – Canty) – Didn’t pass this year
- Healthcare omnibus bill (SB3976 – Aquino / HB5390 – Avelar) – Parts did pass (Healthcare benefits for immigrants seniors was funded)
- RIFL (revenue generator!) Responsibility in Firearm Legislation (HB3320 – Olickal / SB2279 – Peters) – didn’t pass this year
- Illinois Climate Superfund Act, aka “Make Polluters Pay” (HB4773 – Gabel / SB2981 – Guzman) – Tabled until next year!
- Let the People Decide to Lift the Ban on Rent Control Act (HB3687 – Jimenez/ SB2884 – Guzman) Didn’t pass this year
How we moved the needle on progressive revenue this year
We won so much because we worked so hard through persistent and creative tactics. For the first time in the history of our organization, we won over $1 BILLION dollars in new revenue ANNUALLY for our state in a single year. This big win is from the digital ads tax and all of this is exclusively coming from big tech corporations. We should all feel tremendously proud. Here is a summary of all the ways we worked to make sure our legislature passed:
- Tax the Rich Rally at Amazon 1/28
- Springfield Lobby Day 2/25
- Postcard collection during primaries
- Tax Day Action 4/13 at Amazon
- Tax Day Lobby Day and March 4/15
- PowerUp Action at Meta 4/24
- May postcard collection
- May Day Youth March 5/1
- May Day Downtown Rally and March 5/1
- Make Polluters Pay Mother’s Day Action 5/11
- Violence Prevention Lobby Day 5/14
- PowerUp Action at Rep. Croke’s Office 5/20
- Flyering at Rep. Gabel’s office 5/26
- Faith Lobby Day 5/26
- Springfield Day of Action 5/27
- Email your legislator digital action
