State Representative Tony McCombie (IL) | Representative Tony M. McCombie (R) 89th District
State Representative Tony McCombie (IL) | Representative Tony M. McCombie (R) 89th District
House Minority Leader Tony McCombie has provided updates on several key issues affecting Illinois. The Illinois Supreme Court is moving forward with a lawsuit aimed at addressing gerrymandering in the state's legislative map. McCombie, alongside Deputy Minority Leader Ryan Spain and Assistant Minority Leader Dan Ugaste, emphasized that the case is about restoring voters' constitutional rights, not just a partisan issue. "This is about reinstating voters’ constitutional rights that have been violated by an extreme, partisan gerrymandered map," stated McCombie.
In financial news, Illinois faces a projected $737 million budget shortfall for Fiscal Year 2026 as reported by the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (CGFA). The state plans to borrow $725 million through "Build Illinois" bonds to finance capital projects such as developing a new quantum campus in Chicago and cleaning up surplus state property.
On the education front, homeschool advocates rallied against House Bill 2827, which proposes increased regulations on homeschooling. State Representative Brandun Schweizer expressed opposition to the bill, stating: “House Republicans stand firmly with homeschool families against HB 2827 and the burdensome government overreach it represents.”
Regarding the state flag redesign contest, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced that voters favored keeping the current flag design. "Some may call it an SOB – a seal on a bedsheet – but people overwhelmingly prefer our current state flag," said Giannoulias.
The Illinois Flag Commission will report its findings to the General Assembly by April 1. Despite participating in discussions surrounding these topics, McCombie criticized the flag redesign process as wasteful.
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