South Central Reporter

Illinois has been identified as the highest-taxed state in the United States, according to WalletHub's latest annual study on state tax rates. The report compares all 50 states and the District of Columbia across four key tax categories: real estate, vehicle property, income, and sales excise taxes. Illinois ranked last overall, with particularly high rankings for real estate and income taxes. The state's real estate tax rate is nearly 8%, second only to New Jersey. WalletHub found that Illinois' taxes are 51.8% higher than the national average.

In legislative news, Senate Republicans have raised concerns over House Bill 3458, which could allow individuals to use mental health crises as a defense for assaulting police officers. Critics argue this could lead to fewer consequences for such actions and endanger law enforcement officers further.

Another bill drawing attention is House Bill 2827, known as the Homeschool Act. This proposed legislation aims to increase oversight of homeschooling families by requiring parents to meet educational qualifications and notify school districts when homeschooling begins. Opponents argue it unnecessarily complicates parental freedom in education.

State Senator Erica Harriss has introduced Senate Bill 2091 following the death of Alton Police Department K9 Odin. The bill seeks stricter penalties for those who harm working K9 animals by elevating certain offenses from Class 4 or Class 3 felonies to more severe charges.

As a deadline approaches on March 21st for passing substantive bills out of committee in Illinois' General Assembly, lawmakers face pressure with over 6,000 bills filed since January. Extensions can be requested but historically make it harder for a bill to become law if not passed out of committee before this deadline.