Illinois Senators Split Over Federal Shutdown Bill and Classic Learning Test Mandate
Illinois U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth found themselves on opposite sides of a recent vote to end the federal government's partial shutdown. The bill, which included provisions to mandate the use of the Classic Learning Test (CLT) in military academies and federally operated schools, passed with Durbin's support but faced Duckworth's opposition.
Durbin voted in favor of the bill, which was proposed by Representative Elise Stefanik and later introduced in the House by Mary Miller. The legislation requires military academies to accept the CLT for admissions and mandates that federally operated secondary schools administer the test to all 11th-grade students. Duckworth, however, voted against the bill, citing concerns about what she described as President Trump's 'vindictive efforts' in relation to the shutdown.
Meanwhile, in local news, Cook County property tax bills for Tax Year 2024 are expected to be mailed out on Nov. 14, 2025. The second installment property tax bills for Tax Year 2024 are due on Dec. 15, 2025. The delay in this year's property tax bills was due to an overhaul of the county's tax system's 'technological backbone'.
The federal bill, now law, will see the Classic Learning Test integrated into the admissions process of military academies and the 11th-grade curriculum of federally operated secondary schools. Locally, Cook County residents can expect their property tax bills to arrive in November 2025, with the second installment due in December of the same year.
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