SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Senate Democrats are pushing a package of bills that they say will help get Illinois families back on their feet.
The legislation includes an expansion of the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit and the creation of an Illinois Child Tax Credit, sponsored by Sen. Mike Simmons of Chicago.
“It would provide a $600 credit per child for households in the state for which you have a single filer who earns under $40,000 per year, and a household with joint filers that earn under $60,000 per year, per child,” Simmons said.
Sen. Omar Aquino of Chicago said the Earned Income Tax Credit has become one of the most effective anti-poverty programs in the nation.
“This expansion would reach directly to 1.6 million households, 1.2 million people would be newly eligible, and the bill would also create $1 billion in benefits to local economies,” Aquino said.
Other proposals increase funding for early childhood education programs and make more families eligible for child care assistance.
