The LWVE hosted its annual Legislative Luncheon at the Evanston Ecology Center on Thursday, August 20, 2026. League members and their guests enjoyed a delicious Dengeo’s lunch before a panel of state legislators and staffers shared updates on the recent work of the Illinois General Assembly in Springfield.
League co-president Georgia Vlahos opened the discussion, and Helen Gagel moderated. The panel was composed of Rep. Robyn Gabel (18th District), Rep. Kevin Olickal (16th District), Sen. Ram Villivalam (8th District), and Chiefs of Staff Liam Harding and Ben Isabel, representing Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (17th District) and Sen. Laura Fine (9th District), respectively, who could not attend because of other obligations. Panelists were eager to celebrate the passage of the 2026-2027 state budget, which Rep. Olickal called a “moral document,” but also expressed concern that the budget did not increase much over the previous year, and thus may not be sufficient to cover all the needs that legislators would like to address.
Rep. Gabel explained that budget funds come primarily from individual income taxes, corporate income taxes, and sales taxes on goods. In addition, however, the state budget will also now realize revenues from a new digital ads tax as well as from taxes on digital assets (e.g., cryptocurrencies) and on social media platforms, thereby taking an important first step toward bringing the budgeting process in line with an economy that is increasingly based on digital activities.
Money allocated in the state budget is used primarily to fund education, human services, healthcare, and pensions. All panel members spoke to the need for Illinois to help its citizens struggling to make ends meet in the current economy. State initiatives to address the affordability crisis include waiving an increase in the motor fuel tax, a recent significant decrease in taxes on back-to-school supplies between August 7 and August 15, and free breakfast and lunch programs.
Panel members addressed a relatively new concern for the state legislature, that of wrestling with the ever-growing presence of AI in all our lives, including how it can be regulated and by whom, as well as how to hold AI companies liable for harms that may ensue from their use. In addition, there is growing concern about data centers, which Rep. Villivalam said are an issue for every district in the state. Harding updated attendees on the importance of the recently passed Artificial Intelligence Safety Measures Act, requiring large AI developers to disclose their safety practices and risk management strategies and also to undergo annual audits to ensure that they are in compliance with safety requirements. This act will take effect on January 1, 2027.
Panelists also discussed the failure of Governor Pritzker’s proposed BUILD plan to be approved during this session. That plan would attempt to address the state’s serious housing crisis through a focus on increased multi-unit housing and a more streamlined construction permit process. The plan raises the issue of state vs local control over housing codes, and if passed as written would drastically limit the authority that local governments have over residential zoning. Rep. Gabel stated that although the plan did not pass in either house, the legislature will likely be asked to consider it again in the future.
Evanston RoundTable reporter Alex Harrison attended the legislative luncheon too, and you can read
more about the panel’s updates in his report.