Illinois Legislative News: March 17, 2025
Third Reading Consulting Group
Chicago Metro Area and Cook County Experience Population Growth in 2024
The U.S. Census Bureau released new population estimates showing that the Chicago Metropolitan Area and Cook County have begun growing again after a brief period of estimated declines in the COVID-19 pandemic. Between July 1, 2023, and July 1, 2024, the 12-county Chicago Metro Area added 70,762 residents, a 0.8% increase, bringing the region’s total population of 9.4 million. Included within the Metro Area population increase figure, Cook County added 40,095 residents, also a 0.8% increase, bringing its total population to nearly 5.2 million.
Chicago’s metro area added the ninth-most residents of any metro area in the U.S. last year, while Cook County ranked seventh among all U.S. counties. The Census Bureau also revised previous estimates, now indicating that the Chicago Metro Area grew in both 2023 and 2024, likely due to their revision of Illinois ongoing population estimates following the 2020 Census Post-Enumeration Survey which found that the state’s population was significantly undercounted in the 2020 Census.
Similar to New York City and Los Angeles, Chicago’s population growth was primarily driven by international immigration. Roughly 40% of the nation’s metro areas recorded more domestic out-migration than in-migration. The Chicago Metro Area added 96,448 international immigrants last year, which offsets the domestic migration loss of 45,217. The Chicago area almost entirely fueled Illinois’ population gains in 2023 and 2024, with domestic out-migration and stagnation persisting in many Downstate communities.
The Census Bureau indicated they are using a new methodology that now better accounts for humanitarian migrants, including Venezuelan refugees and Ukrainian immigrants, tens of thousands of whom have settled in Chicago since the start of the war in Ukraine. In addition to immigrants settling in the Chicago area, natural increase is also contributing to the overall growth. Over the last two years, births have outnumbered deaths in the Chicago area by roughly 20,000.
Overall, Chicago’s population growth represents a reversal of the pandemic-era trend of declining large city populations. Fewer people are choosing to leave job centers such as core urban areas. Chicago and other large metro areas will continue to be the top destinations for international immigration given their access to employment and resources to support new arrivals.
Senate Transportation Committee Considers Competing Transit Reform Proposals
The Senate Transportation Committee held a subject matter hearing on March 11, where discussions continued around proposed legislation to address funding and other long-standing issues facing Chicago area mass transit systems. Two bills, SB 5 and SB 1938, were discussed in the hearing. SB 5/HB 1833, backed by transit advocates, would abolish the CTA, Metra, Pace and RTA boards and replace them with a single entity called the Metropolitan Mobility Authority (MMA). The competing SB 1938/HB 2963 is backed by labor unions and includes reforms to strengthen the RTA’s governance over the existing transit agencies without merging them.
Under SB 5, the MMA would create a board to oversee all Chicago area transit modes, streamlining operations, fares, services, and procurement. Advocates of the MMA proposal argue that consolidation offers the best strategy to reduce existing redundant positions, thereby saving costs. Additionally, it would unify what is currently a fragmented transit system, providing reliable multi-modal service across the Chicago area. On the other hand, under SB 1938, labor activists aim to reimagine the current RTA structure by introducing reforms such as a consolidated fare collection system directed by the RTA. Additionally, this bill creates the Road Usage Charge Advisory Committee to evaluate a road usage charge pilot program, to explore taxing motorists by miles driven rather than gallon of gas. Such a proposal would provide a replacement for declining gas tax revenues as consumers transition to electric vehicles. Supporters of the labor proposal criticized the governance structure of the proposed MMA for providing a one-size-fits all solution that does not reflect each transit agency’s expertise in their respective mode or diverse needs of transit riders across the region.
Despite drawing plenty of media attention, Governor Pritzker’s proposed FY 2026 budget proposal doesn’t include any funding to address the $770M transit funding deficit beginning in 2026. Stakeholders expressed warning that without any financial support to address these transit issues, the state’s transit system would face a fiscal cliff, likely leading to significant service reductions or cost increases.
Notably, advocates of both transit reform proposals call for additional state funding to close the deficit and address issues that have plagued Chicago’s transit. Transit workers and union representatives highlighted urgent issues, including staffing shortages, aging infrastructure, and safety concerns. CTA operators voiced fears about how a fiscal cliff could affect transit operations and service reliability. Witnesses at the hearing stressed the need for dedicated funding to improve safety and expand staffing within the state’s transit systems. They also raised concerns about the long-term sustainability of fare structures, ensuring affordability for low-income riders, and bridging service gaps between urban and suburban areas.
While SB 1938 and SB 5 propose structural changes and reforms, the lack of immediate funding in the Governor’s budget proposal casts doubt on when—or if—these transit improvements will become reality. The State of Illinois, City of Chicago, Cook County, and the suburban collar counties will have to figure out a funding solution or risk economic losses resulting from diminished public transit service.
Important Upcoming Dates – Statewide
March 21 – Initial Chamber Committee Deadline
April 11 – Initial Chamber Third Reading Deadline
May 9 – Opposite Chamber Committee Deadline
May 23 – Opposite Chamber Third Reading Deadline
May 31 – Adjournment