Illinois’ comeback story starts here.

Pandemic cocktails to-go gets extension in Illinois

Pandemic cocktails to-go gets extension in Illinois

Illinois was one of 14 states that made it legal for restaurant and bar owners to deliver cocktails or sell them to-go as a survival tactic during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gov. J.B. Pritzker just signed the bill to extend the policy into 2028.

By Patrick Andriesen

Illinois has more graduates but with lower scores, fewer heading to college

Illinois has more graduates but with lower scores, fewer heading to college

Illinois is in the minority of states graduating a higher percentage of students during the first two years of the pandemic. But state data shows those high school students’ SAT scores are dropping and a smaller percentage are immediately continuing onto higher education.

By Hannah Max

The Policy Shop: Numbers don’t lie

The Policy Shop: Numbers don’t lie

This edition of The Policy Shop is brought to you by director of fiscal and economic research Bryce Hill. They say numbers don’t lie. If so, Illinois communities are now faced with an undeniable truth: 85% of them experienced population decline in 2022, with Chicago, the heart of our state, suffering a loss of nearly...

Pensions put Illinois’ 2024 budget in red by over $4B

Pensions put Illinois’ 2024 budget in red by over $4B

Illinois state lawmakers shorted pensions by $4.1 billion and killed scholarships for low-income students, but gave themselves pay raises and a new office building. Their budget leaves no room for error as revenue projections drop.

By Bryce Hill

The Policy Shop: Springfield’s big budget crunch

The Policy Shop: Springfield’s big budget crunch

This week’s The Policy Shop is by Bryce Hill, director of fiscal and economic research at the Illinois Policy Institute. With just a week left of session and a hard deadline of July 1 (the beginning of the new fiscal year) to pass a state budget, Springfield politicians are running out of time. As of...