Illinois Quick Hits: Statewide bag tax proposed

February 9, 2026/

Spread the love

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – State Rep. Laura Faver Dias, D-Grayslake, has proposed legislation to impose a 10-cent fee on carryout bags at retail establishments, effective Jan. 1.

House Bill 5112 would also increase the tax by 5 cents every year until the fee is 25 cents per bag. The fee would apply to any kind of bag.

HB 5112 would also ban retailers from using plastic bags for delivering goods to consumers.

KANSAS MAN ARRESTED AFTER HIGHWAY SHOOTING IN ILLINOIS

Illinois State Police special agents have arrested a Wichita, Kansas man after a pursuit involving multiple vehicles allegedly being shot at.

ISP says Drew D. Smading, 33, fired a weapon at a vehicle on Highway 13 near Lenzburg on Friday and then fired at four other vehicles before crashing near Sparta.

TAX PREP ASSISTANCE OFFERED

State government officials say free tax preparation help is available for low-to-moderate income families and older adults filing their 2025 income taxes.

The Internal Revenue Service, American Association of Retired Persons’ Foundation Tax-Aide Program, the Ladder Up Tax Assistance Program and the GetYourRefund Program provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals in select locations statewide.

Taxpayers can learn more about free tax assistance by visiting IDOR’s website.

Latest News Stories

Green Garden Solar Farm Approved in Split Vote; Battery Storage Component Rejected

Will County Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting | May 5, 2026 Article Summary: The Will County Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval for a new 4.98-megawatt solar facility in Green...

Bill to expel students over sexual assault progresses in Springfield

By Sean Reed | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A measure that would place new rules on Illinois schools requiring a full-year expulsion of a student...

Viral goose egg case fuels debate over abortion

By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A viral incident involving a suburban Chicago woman accused of taking protected goose eggs is drawing...

Another U.S.-Canada border bust: Gun smuggling operation

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square A gun smuggling operation run by Canadian, Pakistani and Jordanian citizens has been thwarted at the U.S.-Canada border, authorities said. While illegal border crosser crime...

More than 200 children rescued, 350 child sex offenders arrested in one month

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square More than 200 children were rescued and more than 350 child sex offenders arrested in one month in the latest Department of Justice targeted enforcement...

Trump budget targets ‘valley of death’ with new military contractor accountability model

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square The Trump administration's $1.5 trillion military budget request would rewrite how the Pentagon buys weapons – forcing contractors to fund their own factory expansions and...

Nonprofit flies troops home for milestones they can’t afford to miss

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square For junior enlisted military members earning about $30,000 a year, the cost of a round-trip ticket home can be the difference between witnessing a family...

Report: 2025 third most violent year on record for American Jews

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Last year was the third most violent year on record for American Jews, according to an analysis by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Although antisemitic incidents...

International human smuggling ring exploiting Canadian visa system thwarted by US

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Another international human smuggling ring exploiting lax Canadian border security and visa processes has been thwarted by U.S. officials. Mexican smuggling at the U.S.-Canada border...

Pro-life org: Informed consent for abortion pill impossible without doctor visit

By Tate RosentreterThe Center Square The nation’s largest pro-life organization filed an amicus brief Thursday in the U.S. Supreme Court asserting the impossibility of ensuring informed consent without an in-person...

Illinois Quick Hits: Swipe fee case returned to district court

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has returned a case involving an Illinois law banning electronic...

Trump announces three-day ceasefire, prisoner swap between Russia, Ukraine

By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square More than four years into the war between Russia and Ukraine, President Donald Trump has announced a three-day ceasefire between the two countries. The ceasefire...

Bill to tax global profits from Illinois meets opposition protesting ‘double tax’

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Multinational corporations that do business in Illinois would be taxed more to fund public education under a...

Analysis finds short-term stability, lack of long-term growth in state budget

By Sean Reed | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – New analysis of the proposed Illinois budget for the coming year revealed the spending plan to be...

WATCH: Let’s Go Washington launching initiative to repeal income tax

By Carleen JohnsonThe Center Square Let’s Go Washington on Friday announced they have received their initiative ballot titles from the office of Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown, as the...

« Previous
1
…
32
33
34
35
36
…
187
Next »