A few weeks ago I wrote an entire column about the inefficiency of changing an address with the Secretary of State, including the mail intentionally sent to the old house (in case we still lived there).

At the end, I wrote “here’s betting my little story is nothing compared to readers’ experiences,” a wager won by a woman who got a legendary runaround in pursuit of a Real ID, including multiple government offices demanding her late husband sign a marriage license from before the Bears won the Super Bowl.

In the interest of fairness, it’s worth noting I experienced a similar circumstance when changing addresses with our hometown bank. After visiting a teller in person and signing off on several forms, we got seven letters confirming the change – one for each checking and savings account affected – then two days later seven more initially sent to the old house and rerouted to the current address.

As with the state, the bank knows my other contact information. We receive paperless statements, making this persistent commitment to outdated (and more costly) communication all the more confounding.

TAX AMNESTY: If you owe back taxes to the state, this week is the time to clear the record.

Through Nov. 17, the Department of Revenue is waiving penalties and interest on any outstanding bill paid in full for amounts incurred from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2023. The window for payment opened Oct. 1, similar to amnesty periods in 2003, 2010 and 2019, the latter of which brought in $360 million to state and local bodies. For more information, visit tax.illinois.gov/taxamnesty.

FOOD AID PERIL: Shaw Media’s Bill Freskos reported this week on a potential shutdown of a University of Illinois Extension outreach program called Hunters Feeding Illinois (tinyurl.com/HuntersFeed). Extension started the outreach in 2022, organizing collaboration between hunters, meat lockers and food banks, which can only accept donated protein from licensed processors.

Extension staff raised money or secured grants to pay for processing, Freskos wrote, clarifying “Federal funds don’t go toward the meat but toward the people and planning that kept the program running smoothly.” With that money in jeopardy, the downstream effects cause concern a successful venture is sidelined at a critical venture. Hunters who contributed in the past might consider checking in advance to see if any extra steps – or money – are needed to keep donations flowing this season

HAVE YOUR SAY: The DOR, along with Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, are studying the state’s property tax system and collecting public comments for a report due next summer. The deadline is Dec. 1. Anyone can email a PDF to Rev.PTAXStudy@illinois.gov, but remarks about an individual assessment or billing process won’t be accepted.

• Scott T. Holland writes about state government issues for Shaw Local News Network. He can be reached at sholland@shawmedia.com.