(Left to right) Senior Director of Legislative & Political Affairs Julie Sullivan; Senior Vice President of Governmental Affairs Greg St. Aubin; Public Policy and Governmental Affairs Member Involvement Group Chair Robert Eby and Vice Chair Jeff Kolbus. Not pictured: Director of Local Advocacy Mike Scobey

The 2020 legislative landscape will be a busy one with an election, a new Illinois Senate president and political priorities from Chicago and other municipalities around the state, but  REALTORS® and their proven grassroots advocacy efforts continue to make a difference in protecting private property rights.

“The battles continue and all of you are a big part of those battles, so keep talking to your elected officials at the state, local and even federal levels because your voice makes a huge difference,” Greg St. Aubin, senior vice president, governmental affairs, told members attending the final day of Illinois REALTORS® Public Policy Meetings in East Peoria Thursday.

During a Public Policy Forum, St. Aubin, Senior Director of Legislative & Political Affairs Julie Sullivan and Director of Local Advocacy Mike Scobey outlined some of the key state and local legislative issues for 2020.

Some are familiar battles that are expected to resurface again including:

(Left to right) Robert Eby, Jeff Kolbus and Mike Scobey talk before the Public Policy Forum.

• Rent Control – REALTOR® advocacy efforts dealt it a serious blow in 2019, but proponents of the issue are expected to push legislation again this year.
• Cook County Assessor’s initiative to change the way commercial real estate is assessed for property taxes – REALTORS® are concerned about what the real impact of such a measure would be and what it would mean to property owners and practitioners not just in Cook County, but potentially around the state.
• Cook County real estate transfer tax – The idea stalled in 2019, but should it be revived, REALTORS® are opposed because it would be detrimental to property buyers and business owners.
• Home Rule initiatives – Many municipalities around the state continue to push for home rule powers in communities that wouldn’t otherwise qualify.

They also highlighted some of the issues to watch including:

• Property tax reform – The state’s property tax reform task force has not yet filed its formal report, but early drafts point to initiatives to consolidate units of government and school districts in the state.
• Lawsuit against Sauk Village – Illinois REALTORS® and the Mainstreet Organization of REALTORS® have initiated a lawsuit against Sauk Village in south suburban Cook County for its point of sale home inspection process and recent changes in how the municipality is carrying out the program.