State Representative Regan Deering

06/03/2026

During the passage of the budget, House Democrats declared victory on “affordability.” The $800 million in new taxes used to balance a nearly $56 billion budget, passed in the dead of night, beg to differ. While Democrats talked about affordability, my colleagues and I offered real solutions to lower costs for Illinois families. Our affordability package included my bill, HB 4519, which would eliminate the state tax on tips.

Throughout the spring legislative session, Democrats repeatedly claimed affordability was their top priority for Illinois families. But when...

06/02/2026

It seems like Democrats here in Illinois are so desperate for new taxes that they have resorted to copying failed ideas from the Mayor of Chicago. Included in the budget is a $200 million social media tax, taxing platforms based on the number of users per month. This would affect platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Ultimately, this is just another tax that will be passed onto the consumers of these very popular apps.

Illinois lawmakers passed a $59B budget with new business taxes, frozen gas tax hikes and funding tradeoffs.

06/01/2026

Early this morning, the General Assembly voted to delay the implementation of the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act (IFPA) for another year. IFPA prohibits interchange fees, otherwise known as “swipe fees” on the sales tax and tip portions of card transactions from being implemented by banks and credit card companies. The law would incentivize merchants to make multiple transactions, creating chaos for customers.

The law, originally passed in 2024, will now be delayed for two consecutive years if the Governor signs this latest measure into law. The bill passed the House unanimously.

The Illinois legislature voted Monday (June 1) to delay implementation of the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act (IFPA) for a year. If the bill containing

06/01/2026

State Representative Regan Deering (R-Decatur) issued the following statement after voting no on the partisan FY27 state budget. The budget spends a record $55.9 billion and is paid for with roughly $800 million in new taxes and fees.

In addition to the new taxes and fees, the budget includes at least $220 million for pork projects in Democrat districts, $410 million for immigrant support services, and a 3.2% pay raise for legislators.

“Families are being crushed by higher taxes, higher utility bills, higher grocery prices, and rising property taxes,” said Rep. Deering. “Instead of delivering relief, Democrats passed another record spending plan with benefits for non-citizens and pay hikes for politicians. This budget shows exactly where their priorities are, and working families are not at the top of the list. That is not affordability. It is the opposite.”

Continue reading below.
https://repdeering.com/2026/06/01/deering-votes-no-on-record-spending-plan-families-needed-relief-democrats-delivered-higher-taxes-and-more-spending/

05/31/2026

Today is the last day of the Spring Session. Late last night, the Senate dropped a new spending plan for Fiscal Year 2027, which begins on July 1. Here is a summary of where we stand on things this morning.

With one day left until the Illinois General Assembly’s scheduled adjournment, lawmakers worked to find tax increases and revenue diversions to finance a new state budget while a plan to keep the Chicago Bears in Illinois hit a…

05/30/2026

The relentless tax hikes from Governor Pritzker and the Democrats have made life unaffordable for Illinois families. While Illinoisans are paying $18 billion more in taxes compared to Pritzker’s first year in office, Democrats continue to put their hands out and beg for more. Enough is enough. Democrats need to live within their means and adjust to differing revenue estimates year over year, not create one-time revenue streams that allow the budget to appear “balanced.”

05/29/2026

With just a few days left of the Spring Legislative Session amid a tough budget year, progressive Democrats are adamant to pass their radical revenue bills through both chambers. With the state facing a nearly $900 million shortfall this year, we need to focus on spending priorities. We have no room for pork or frivolous spending this budget cycle, we must provide affordability for our constituents.

In response to a question last week from my associate Isabel Miller, Gov. JB Pritzker said he didn’t think a group of progressive legislators could pass their progressive revenue bills through both chambers by the end of the spring session. “They’ve been working very hard on getting something ...

05/28/2026

Illinois families and businesses need reliable and affordable power. Just this week, the House Energy and Environment Committee held yet another subject matter hearing on the POWER Act. The Majority Party wants to continue the push for renewable energy, while also trying to balance the energy needed for data centers. Democrats must let go of their green energy fantasies and prioritize reliable, affordable, and sustainable power for years to come.

A decade ago, Illinois produced more electricity than it consumed and exported the surplus. Today, that advantage is being legislated away.

05/27/2026

House Democrats just passed a bill allowing kids of any age to obtain birth control without parental consent. The sponsor also indicated that abortion drugs could be included in “contraceptive drugs, devices or products.” Springfield Democrats continue to harm women and attack parents’ rights.

05/27/2026

As the final week of session gets underway, House Democrats are spending valuable floor time this afternoon bringing Senator Dick Durbin to Springfield for a joint address instead of focusing on legislation that would actually help Illinois families.

Rather than working to address the affordability crisis Democrats have created, lawmakers will sit through a speech from a career Washington politician whose policies have failed working families across Illinois.

Will Senator Durbin use today’s address to explain:
• Why he defended the Illinois TRUST Act and sanctuary policies that have made communities less safe?
• Why he remained silent when confronted by an Angel Parent over the death of their daughter at the hands of an undocumented immigrant?
• Or why he has spent years attacking the United States Supreme Court simply because he disagrees with its rulings?

Instead of political speeches, Democrats should be using floor time to debate bills from House Republicans that would deliver real relief and improve public safety for Illinois families, including:
• HB 9, which would provide meaningful property tax relief for homeowners across Illinois
• HB 1317, which would repeal the TRUST Act and end Illinois’ failed sanctuary state policies
• HB 4519, which would eliminate the state tax on tips and let workers keep more of their hard-earned money
• HB 5738, which would provide Illinois families relief at the pump through a gas sales tax holiday

While Democrats spend the final week of session focused on political theatre, House Republicans will continue pushing for real solutions that lower costs, improve public safety, and provide relief for hardworking Illinois families.