SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Graciela Guzmán backed a property tax relief package that increases property tax exemption thresholds for senior citizens in Illinois.

“No senior should be forced out of their home because our tax system hasn’t kept pace with economic reality,” said Guzmán (D-Chicago). “By raising income limits and modernizing protections, we’re taking real steps to correct inequities and ensure older residents aren’t carrying the burden of rising costs alone.”

Senate Bill 642 would deliver critical updates to help seniors on fixed incomes and help families facing economic challenges manage rising property tax costs. Under the measure, the maximum income limit for the Low-Income Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption would increase substantially over the next several years, beginning at $75,000 for taxable year 2026, increasing to $77,000 for taxable year 2027 and settling at $79,000 for taxable year 2028 and beyond.

CHICAGO — Following the detention of a day care teacher at Rayito del Sol by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents Wednesday morning, State Senator Graciela Guzmán (D-Chicago) released the following statement:

“I am once again appalled at the callousness these agents displayed at their most recent operation, stooping so low as to target day care teachers, and their disregard for any empathy they may have for people who are different from them. It is inexcusable for armed agents to barge in and out of several daycare classrooms to apprehend a teacher in front of young students. Sadly, this is the level of cruelty we are seeing daily under the Trump administration, where Black and Brown Chicagoans are living in fear that they will be abducted next without any probable cause.

“Rayito del Sol is a Spanish Immersion Early Learning Center that does amazing work to support our youngest community members grow and learn. Imagine having a child in those classrooms who had to watch their beloved teacher abducted by two masked, armed men, without knowing if they will ever see them again. How are they meant to feel safe in their classroom—a space that is likely their first venture outside of their own home—and any classrooms or spaces they go into as they get older?

SPRINGFIELD —Following the passage of Senate Bill 2111, a bicameral transit reform package, State Senator Graciela Guzmán released the following statement:

“This is a package with a lot of shared sacrifice to avoid the most regressive thing we could have done in the moment: not funding transit, losing jobs, losing routes, and losing ways to get to school, work, doctors and more essential services.

“I want to thank our transit champion, Senator Villivalam, for leading these negotiations. I also want to thanks the other leaders in the Senate, House, and governor’s office for coming together to get this across the finish line. I am also grateful for the coalition of stakeholders, including grassroots organizers and labor advocates, for their input to the final agreement and for elevating the needs of working Illinoisans.

“Most importantly, I want to thank my community members for the thousands of calls, emails, letters, and hours of work on this matter. After holding several town halls on this issue and speaking with folks outside your homes, in grocery stores, and on the train, it is clear how essential our transit system is to our neighbors and how much we love this system connecting all of us together. I want you all to know how your advocacy made a difference, and how proud I am to represent this district.

“We still have a lot of work to do to ensure progressive revenue is available—not just to fund transit, but also other funding needs our state has. As we celebrate what was passed, I’ll begin work to ensure the RAP program is funded to support our community with disabilities, and to build a world-class transit system that builds the $1.5 billion intergenerational investment we are making.”

SPRINGFIELD —As an advocate for clean energy and a sustainable future, State Senator Graciela Guzmán celebrated the passage of Senate Bill 25 while calling for additional legislation to address rising costs of energy for consumers.

“If we sit idly as Wall Street lets big energy companies raise electricity prices, we will be left to foot the bill of a broken system and risk people losing access to power entirely,” said Guzmán (D-Chicago). “This measure will invest in our clean energy future and help transition Illinois to a cleaner, more reliable grid while supporting workers and families.”