Why Texas is in Special Session and Illinois Isn’t: Because Only One State Is Tackling Real Crises
This July, Texas and Illinois present a tale of two legislatures: one racing back to the Capitol to solve urgent problems, the other languishing without action. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s special session—set to begin July 21—zeroes in on flood relief, redistricting, THC regulation, and yes, abortion-pill restrictions. Meanwhile in Springfield, Illinois lawmakers have yet to convene at all, even as our public transit faces a $770 million cliff and pension debt climbs toward $150 billion.
Here’s the stark contrast:
Texas: Fixing Floods, Maps, and Public Safety
The Special Session agenda items include:
FLOOD WARNING SYSTEMS: Legislation to improve early warning systems and other preparedness infrastructure in flood-prone areas throughout Texas.
FLOOD EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS: Legislation to strengthen emergency communications and other response infrastructure in flood-prone areas throughout Texas.
RELIEF FUNDING FOR HILL COUNTRY FLOODS: Legislation to provide relief funding for response to and recovery from the storms which began in early July 2025, including local match funding for jurisdictions eligible for FEMA public assistance.
NATURAL DISASTER PREPARATION & RECOVERY: Legislation to evaluate and streamline rules and regulations to speed preparedness for and recovery from natural disasters.
ELIMINATE STAAR TEST: Legislation to eliminate the STAAR test and replace it with effective tools to assess student progress and ensure school district accountability.
CUT PROPERTY TAXES: Legislation reducing the property tax burden on Texans and legislation imposing spending limits on entities authorized to impose property taxes.
PROTECT CHILDREN FROM THC: Legislation making it a crime to provide hemp-derived products to children under 21 years of age.
REGULATE HEMP-DERIVED PRODUCTS : Legislation to comprehensively regulate hemp-derived products, including limiting potency, restricting synthetically modified compounds, and establishing enforcement mechanisms, all without banning a lawful agricultural commodity.
PROTECT UNBORN CHILDREN: Legislation further protecting unborn children and their mothers from the harm of abortion.
BAN TAXPAYER-FUNDED LOBBYING: Legislation prohibiting taxpayer-funded lobbying, including the use of tax dollars to hire lobbyists and payment of tax dollars to associations that lobby the Legislature.
PROTECT HUMAN TRAFFICKING VICTIMS: Legislation, similar to Senate Bill No. 1278 from the 89th Legislature, Regular Session, that protects victims of human trafficking from criminal liability for non-violent acts closely tied to their own victimization.
POLICE PERSONNEL RECORDS: Legislation that protects law enforcement officers from public disclosure of unsubstantiated complaints in personnel files.
PROTECT WOMEN’S SPACES: Legislation protecting women’s privacy in sex-segregated spaces.
ATTORNEY GENERAL ELECTION POWERS: Legislation proposing a constitutional amendment allowing the Attorney General to prosecute state election crimes.
REDISTRICTING: Legislation that provides a revised congressional redistricting plan in light of constitutional concerns raised by the U.S. Department of Justice.
TITLE THEFT & DEED FRAUD: Legislation, similar to Senate Bill No. 648 from the 89th Legislature, Regular Session, that provides strengthened protections against title theft and deed fraud.
WATER PROJECT INCENTIVES: Legislation, similar to Senate Bill No. 1253 from the 89th Legislature, Regular Session, that authorizes political subdivisions to reduce impact fees for builders who include water conservation and efficiency measures.
STATE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT: Legislation, similar to Senate Bill No. 2878 from the 89th Legislature, Regular Session, relating to the operation and administration of the Judicial Department of state government.
Illinois: No Session, No Solutions
Illinois: Neglected Priorities While the Governor Hits the Road
In Illinois, lawmakers remain on the sidelines just as families suffocate under crushing costs and crumbling infrastructure. Here’s what SHOULD be on this summer’s agenda—but isn’t:
Property Tax Relief Now
Illinois homeowners face the second-highest property tax rates in America, with no meaningful relief in sight. Every year, working-class families shell out thousands more just to keep roofs over their heads. A special session should deliver targeted tax credits and appraisal reform to ease this burden.Fix Our Roads and Bridges
From pothole-pocked rural highways to overloaded urban expressways, Illinois’s infrastructure is crumbling—and simply writing bigger checks won’t solve the problem. Rather than raising taxes, we should reallocate existing resources by cutting wasteful or non-essential spending.Modernize the Energy Grid
Frequent outages and rising electricity costs have become the norm. Illinois needs a grid resilience plan—winterization, diversified energy sources, and accountability for ComEd—not another political talking point.Support Small Businesses
High taxes and regulatory confusion are driving mom-and-pop shops to the brink. A special session should address licensing reform, liability protections, and tax relief for entrepreneurs struggling under red tape.
Yet while the people wait, Governor Pritzker is off the campaign trail—stumping for himself instead of convening legislators to deliver these solutions. Illinoisans deserve leadership that works for them, not a governor more focused on headlines than highways.
It’s time for our lawmakers to return to Springfield, roll up their sleeves, and pass real relief—before another generation decides life in Illinois is simply unaffordable.
Leadership Isn’t About Headlines—It’s About Results
Texas shows that a governor can both tackle emergency infrastructure and advance policy priorities. Illinoisan leadership, by contrast, is content to talk about solutions next year or in veto session—ignoring the very real harm done in the interim.
If Illinois truly cares about its residents, it would follow Texas’s example:
Call a Special Session Now to address sustainable transit funding and pension reform.
Pass targeted relief for overburdened families—tax cuts, school funding fixes, grid resilience.
Stop the delay tactics and start delivering results.
We don’t need another round of retreads or empty promises. We need action. Illinois deserves a special session that looks like Texas’s: focused on urgent, measurable solutions—not stale political theater.
It’s time to stop waiting—and start working.
