Chambana Sun

Jeanne Ives, founder of Breakthrough Ideas, said that Illinois voters have enabled Democratic lawmakers she views as extreme to drive the state into financial and ethical crisis. This statement was made on X.

"There's a whole platoon of Democrat members like Kelly Cassidy," said Jeanne M Ives. "Voters have allowed these radicals to run the state into fiscal and moral bankruptcy."

In June 2025, Representative Kelly Cassidy delivered an emotional speech on the Illinois House floor, urging Republican lawmakers to take responsibility for the harm their rhetoric and policies cause transgender youth. According to Capitol News Illinois, Cassidy shared stories of transgender teens struggling with suicidal thoughts and condemned GOP actions as promoting "hate and fear." Her speech received applause from Democratic colleagues and sharp criticism from Republicans, highlighting deep partisan divides on LGBTQ+ issues.

According to a 2024 report by The Trevor Project, 48% of transgender and nonbinary youth in Illinois seriously considered suicide in the previous year, with 15% reporting attempts. The survey also found that 68% experienced symptoms of anxiety, while only 53% received mental health care. These statistics indicate a significant gap in support for transgender youth in the state.

Illinois closed fiscal year 2025 with a $262 million surplus and deposited $246 million into its Budget Stabilization Fund, outperforming many states in surplus-to-budget ratio. As noted in the Illinois Economic and Fiscal Policy Report, this marks continued short-term strength; however, the state still faces a projected $2.97 billion structural deficit for FY 2026. These figures underscore ongoing budget balancing challenges.

Jeanne Ives is a Republican politician and former Illinois state representative for the 42nd district, serving from 2013 to 2019. According to the Illinois General Assembly, she is a West Point graduate and former Army officer who later served on the Wheaton City Council. Ives is known for her socially conservative positions and ran for governor in 2018 and Congress in 2020. She currently serves on the Illinois Republican State Central Committee.