2025 Spring Session Recap

The General Assembly finally staggered to adjournment a few minutes after midnight on May 31, and it’s fair to say that those of us in Local 1600 watching from the sidelines felt equal parts pride and exasperation. Plunging revenue projections (thanks Trump tariffs and the threat of DOGE program cuts) turned what looked in January like a workable FY 2026 budget into a game of fiscal musical chairs. We fought hard, won key concessions, and still watched too many vital bills get shoved aside at the eleventh hour.

Before I get into the details, I want to note that none of our progress would have happened without Local 1600 members pounding lawmakers’ phones and inboxes, or without the dollars you invest in COPE. Thank you.

Our Legislative Victories Awaiting the Governor’s Signature

• Operating funds bump (SB2510): Lawmakers approved a 1% increase for community colleges which is better than the pre-Pritzker years when we were cut or remained flat. This budget includes an optional 2% additional increase that is dependent on the impact of the federal budget. This is discretionary spending being held back if needed. We are not optimistic that we will see this. Overall, this a “win” because it is an increase but we hope it will be a larger win down the road.

  
  

• Pensions payments made (SB2510): Even in this tight fiscal year the state made its full pension payment. One of the General Assembly’s basic jobs is to make these payments, but before the Pritzker/Welch/Harmon era, it was common to rob the pension fund to pay for other needs. Meeting pension obligations has been a modern priority, as it should be.

  
  

• Dual-credit guardrails (HB2967): We actively worked on new language that slows the expansion of dual credit. This language locks in a right of first refusal for local community colleges, restricts out-of-state providers, preserves master’s-level credentials for high-school instructors, and guarantees faculty seats on the oversight panel. Illinois dual credit is far from perfect but these improvements are a step in the right direction.

  
  

• Real mental-health professionals on campus (HB3385): South Suburban’s decision to swap licensed counselors for a call-center was a slap in the face. Our response: a law forcing every public college to have at least three FTE licensed counselors or social workers on site. Thanks to our work, administrators cannot replace actual mental health experts with 1-800 hotlines or phone apps. Although this new law does not mandate that they are employed by the college (so outside agencies are allowed), this does mandate that actual people must be on campus.

  
  

• Artificial intelligence regulation in community colleges (HB1859): Illinois becomes just the second state to tell Silicon Valley to back off: only people can award college credit in our system. Thanks to our efforts we have passed the first AI regulation passed for Illinois higher education.

  
  

• Library Access Task Force (SJR0013): Years of budget attrition have gutted professional librarian positions. Through a coalition organized by IFT, we took action to establish a statutory task force to expose the damage and, we hope, force action. A first step, but long overdue.

  
  

Legislation That Didn’t Make It (yet) 

• Tier 2 “safe harbor” fix (yanked at the last minute): Negotiations advanced farther than ever and lawmakers earmarked $75 million, but the final budget left tier 2 unaddressed. This is very frustrating for us and for our coalition partners. We will continue to fight for the retirement security of our members who are in tier 2. This is far from over.

  
  

• Elected board for City Colleges (stonewalled): Seventy percent of senators signed on to SB 1693 but Senate leaders still refused to give it a hearing. Seventeen Chicago alderpersons publicly begged Springfield to act. Evidently that wasn’t enough. A democratically elected board for the City Colleges remains a top priority for Local 1600. Again, this is very frustrating.

  
  

• Community-college bachelor’s degrees (torpedoed in a side fight): We worked hard on this legislation after Governor Pritzker made it one of his priorities. There were hard-won compromises and concessions made with the university lobbyists. But all efforts came to a halt when the Legislative Black Caucus paused it during final budget talks. They tied community college bachelors degrees to a separate bill on university equity funding which killed both bills. Authorizing workforce-aligned bachelor’s degrees will be back on the agenda next year.

  
  

• College Insurance Program (CIP) (still bleeding): CIP remains years behind in paying its bills which has a drastic impact on retirees who are not yet medicare eligible. Several hearings highlighted retiree-health shortfalls. Importantly, baseline funding was added, but the gap persists. We need to keep pressing on this issue. (Note: City College employees do not pay into CIP.)

Watch our legislative session overview video for more details!