Illinois State Representative David Friess responded to the Governor’s State of the State address, which included complaints about funds that Illinois has not received from the federal government.
Friess criticized the Governor’s remarks, referencing money owed to local municipalities through the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF). The LGDF distributes a portion of state income tax revenue to cities and counties, supporting essential services such as police, fire departments, and infrastructure in place of local income taxes.
“The LGDF is a key mechanism by which state income tax revenue is distributed to local municipalities and counties,” Friess said. “The purpose of the LGDF is to provide cities and counties with a percentage of total state income tax collections to help fund essential local services—such as police, fire, and infrastructure—in lieu of local income taxes.”
Friess explained that the LGDF originally allocated 10% of total state income tax collected but was reduced in 2011. It now stands at 6.16% for individual income tax collections and 6.845% for corporate income tax collections.
“I cannot tell you how many local leaders have told me that the LGDF needs to be restored to the original 10%. The governor should address LGDF before complaining about the alleged lack of federal funds,” Friess added.
Friess, a Republican, was elected in 2023 to represent Illinois’ 115th House District, succeeding Nathan Reitz.
