Dear Community Members,
Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker has included a change in his proposed budget that could have a devastating impact on our community. The change, which allegedly aims to close “corporate tax loopholes,” is a drastic reduction of the existing state tax credit for donors to the Invest in Kids Act Tax Credit Scholarship Program (STC). Since the inception of the Invest in Kids Act Tax Credit Scholarship program in 2018, over $37 million has been donated and awarded to children attending Orthodox Jewish schools in the Greater Chicago area, translating into over 2,600 scholarship awards.
An even more significant threat to the long-term viability of the STC is a looming sunset provision, as the entire program is set to expire in 2023. We are asking our legislators and the Governor to support an alternative plan that makes this program permanent and improves it instead of cutting and decimating it.
Your voice matters! The most potent advocacy tool we have is grassroots advocacy. Please join us in our efforts by sending an email to your elected officials simply by filling in your contact information in the box on top of this page. The message is prewritten, but you can personalize the message as you see fit. Taking action can take under 30 seconds and make an impact that will last a lifetime.
After sending an email, please call Governor Pritzker by following this link for phone numbers and talking points. https://agudah.org/call-governor-pritzker/
Thank you!
Rabbi Shlomo Soroka
Director of Government Affairs
Agudath Israel of Illinois