Press Room

Despite the challenging climate, our advocates are working tirelessly to win support for our legislative agenda for Illinois, which envisions a state where everyone can thrive. While it’s impossible to predict how the legislative and budget processes will play out, we’re ready to meet the moment.

Despite threats at the federal level to cut essential anti-poverty programs, our mission to advance economic and racial justice remains steadfast. In our 2025 legislative plan for Illinois, we continue to build on decades of success in Springfield. Read our full list of proposed bills that help create a state where everyone can thrive.

The Shriver Center on Poverty Law is taking action in the face of unprecedented threats to democracy and the social safety net. Our 2025 legislative agenda bolsters the anti-poverty programs and benefits residents rely on. From providing cash assistance to struggling families and increasing worker protections, to removing barriers to housing; our proposed legislation creates a fairer state where everyone can thrive.

Many individuals living in poverty are working more than one job, yet still struggle to make ends meet. People employed in low-wage or part-time positions are caught in a cycle where their earnings fall short of covering basic needs like food, utilities, and rent. Their reality of juggling multiple jobs challenges the narrative that poverty is a result of personal shortcomings.

People with low income are particularly vulnerable to systems that criminalize poverty. Fines and fees like speeding tickets, city sticker fees, and court costs create financial burdens and trap individuals in cycles of hardship.

All families deserve to live in dignity and see their children thrive. A coalition that includes the Shriver Center on Poverty Law won a major victory for Illinois families this legislative session with passage of the state’s first-ever child tax credit.

In this year’s spring legislative agenda, the Shriver Center on Poverty Law advocated for progressive policies across the board that would garner real wins for individuals and families.

The recent release of the report, Funding Our Futures: The Equitable Revenue Policies Illinois Families Need to Thrive, sheds light on the shortcomings of Illinois’ revenue system, calling it out for favoring the wealthy while leaving many struggling to meet basic needs.