State Rep. Joe Sosnowski (R-Rockford) expressed support for his House Republican colleagues following their press conference on Tuesday calling attention to the need for property tax relief and highlighting several bills – including Sosnowski’s – that would deliver much-needed relief.
“Crushing property taxes are driving families, small businesses, and opportunities out of Illinois,” said Rep. Jeff Keicher (R-Sycamore). “The reality is, property taxes don’t just show up on a bill – they shape major life decisions. Whether a young family can afford a first home, a senior can stay in the home they’ve owned for decades, or a small business can stay afloat, all are directly affected by the high cost of property taxes. Sadly, too many people feel they have little or no say in the process, and that has to change.”
House Republicans have offered several proposals that could be passed as standalone bills or included in a broader economic development package. The Republicans noted that instead of simply offering tax relief to large corporations, the state should work to reform the problems created by its broken property tax system.
The House Republican Property Tax Reform Agenda includes:
- HB 9 (Ugaste) – Provides direct property tax relief to homeowners by creating the Fixed Pension Property Tax Relief Plan. (Estimated at $3.5 billion in state property tax relief for 2026 alone.)
- HB 5611, HB 5612 (Weaver) – Provides property tax relief by reinvesting funds from paid bonds.
- HB 2543 (Sosnowski) – Taxpayer Empowerment, forces taxing bodies to ask voters for approval.
- HB 1024 (Cabello) – Mandates sunsets for tax referenda, adds transparency.
- HB 5550 (Fritts) – Truth in Taxation (increases notice for tax increases).
Rep. Sosnowski has also filed groundbreaking new legislation to stop large property tax increases. His proposal is to base property taxes on the equalized assessed value (EAV) of a home the year it is purchased; a cost that would not go up for property tax assessment purposes for as long as a person owns their home.
House Bill 4626 would make housing more affordable for first-time homebuyers, working families, and seniors on fixed incomes alike by providing cost-certainty for property tax bills that would never increase based on increased values.
“Depending on which study you look at, Illinois homeowners pay the highest or second-highest property taxes in the nation; meanwhile other states like Florida, Indiana, and North Dakota are considering plans to eliminate or phase out property taxes altogether,” said Representative Sosnowski. “Families should not have to pay higher taxes every year just because their home increases in value. Illinois needs property tax relief and we need it now.”
Illinois has the highest number of local taxing bodies in the nation, which combined drive upward pressure on property tax bills year after year. Rep. Sosnowski contends that passage of House Bill 4626 would force a limit on the spending growth of local taxing bodies and prevent families and seniors from being taxed out of their homes due to rapidly rising and unaffordable property taxes.
Representative Sosnowski also has companion legislation that would cap annual property tax increases at 1% for seniors, House Bill 3723 or 3% for all homeowners, House Bill 3724.
For questions or more information, please call Rep. Sosnowski’s office at (815) 547-3436.