Kane County Reporter

Dan Ugaste, a representative for Illinois' 65th State House District, announced that the new "Relief for Working Families" bill package aims to provide essential support for hardworking residents of Illinois. He made this statement in a Facebook post on February 28.

"We can help Illinoisans thrive by removing the barriers to their success and making our state a land of opportunity," said Ugaste, State Representative, according to Facebook. "Our Relief for Working Families bill package will provide a much-needed break for hardworking Illinoisans."

The Facebook post referenced a WAND News article discussing three bills included in the "Relief for Working Families" package. These bills range from exempting tips from taxes to offering tax credits to individuals who donate to trade school scholarships. According to the WAND TV report, these bills will require backing from the Democrats' supermajority to pass.

Screenshot of State Representative Dan Ugaste's Feb. 28 Facebook post | State Representative Dan Ugaste's Facebook page

House Bill 1383, known as the Income Tax Deduction for Tips bill, was introduced by Representative Ryan Spain on January 15, 2025. The bill proposes an income tax deduction for tips included in an individual’s federal adjusted gross income and would take effect immediately if passed. As of February 25, it is under review by the state’s Income Tax Subcommittee.

House Bill 1112 proposes allowing teachers to obtain a Manufacturing, Engineering, Technology, or Trade (METT) license if they have at least 10,000 working hours in a trade. It also suggests issuing a METT Educator District License to individuals without a bachelor’s degree or equivalent course hours from higher education institutions. This license would be valid exclusively for teaching courses identified by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) as related to the applicant’s work experience. Additionally, ISBE would collaborate with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity or the Department of Labor to identify METT labor shortages.

Ugaste has represented Illinois' 65th House District since 2018. Before his political career, he was an attorney and shareholder at Nyhan, Bambrick, Kinzie & Lowry focusing on workers' compensation defense and related litigation. Ugaste has also served as President of the Lake Forest College Alumni Board and held leadership roles in various bar associations and committees. He graduated from Lake Forest High School and Lake Forest College and holds a Juris Doctorate degree from DePaul University.