2026
Current Legislative Issue Highlights
School Funding
Illinois continues to fall short of full Evidence-Based Funding, which can affect staffing, class sizes/caseloads, student services, and programs.
Teacher Evaluation, Discipline & AI Protections
New laws strengthen bargaining over student growth in evaluations, put limits on the use of AI in evaluations, and provide additional protections around notices to remedy.
Graduate Coursework & Salary Advancement
New requirements apply to graduate coursework completed on or after July 1, 2026 that is used for salary/lane advancement, while preserving bargaining over other compensation mechanisms.
2026 Illinois General Election Information
Important Dates
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September 24 — Early voting and voting by mail begin
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October 6 — Regular voter registration deadline
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October 18 — Online voter registration deadline
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October 29 — Deadline for election authorities to receive mailed vote-by-mail applications
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November 2 — Last day of early voting
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November 3 — General Election
LEGISLATIVE & ELECTION RESOURCES
ILLINOIS government
Fix Tier 2
Comprehensive Tier 2 pension reform remains unfinished. IFT and the We Are One Illinois coalition continue working to improve retirement security for educators and public employees across Illinois.
Learn More About Fix Tier 2
COPE
COPE stands for
Committee On Political Education
COPE helps union members build political power by supporting pro-labor candidates and advocacy on issues affecting our members, workplaces, and communities, including collective bargaining, fair wages, retirement security, public education, and vital public services.
Contact Us
For more information about Local 943's legislative and political action,
email Yazen Affaneh at yaffaneh943@gmail.com
