Budget Solutions 2018: Balancing the state budget without tax hikes
A set of structural reforms that protect taxpayers and put Illinois on the path to prosperity.
“Bigger” Government Association
Chicago only major U.S. city to lose population from 2015 to 2016
While major headlines broke over news that Chicago was the only one of America’s largest 20 cities to shrink from July 2015 to July 2016, most of Illinois’ other cities with 50,000 people or more also lost population.
DAILY LINKS / 5.25.2017
State Journal-Register: Illinois House begins review of Senate Democrats’ budget plan Fox Illinois: House Republican Who's Against Tax Increases Sponsors Bill That Would Increase Taxes Chicago Sun-Times: State memo: Tax bill may not survive constitutional, fed challenges WCIA: Entertainment tax targets TV services WCIA: Rauner weighs in on Senate's budget Crain's Chicago Business: Illinois budget spotlight shifts to Madigan Associated Press: Legislative hearing takes up Illinois child welfare agency Associated Press: House Democrats propose college grant program Daily Herald: Population decline now reaching into suburbs Chicago Tribune: Chicago only major U.S. city to lose population from 2015 to 2016 Chicago Tribune: Chicago school board OKs borrowing after district makes clear it could run out of money Chicago Sun-Times: Emanuel playing poker about plans for CPS tax hike Bloomington Pantagraph: Unit 5 eyes budget issues from lax state payments News-Gazette: Past time for pay cut Belleville News-Democrat: Ellis faces a two-year prison sentence for hanging with felons Belleville News-Democrat: St. Clair County is where political pedigrees, felony records meetCollege students were fleeing Illinois long before the budget impasse
Illinois lost 195,000 more college-bound students than it gained from 2000-2014.
Veterans courts heal scars we can’t see
This Memorial Day, we honor those who have fallen. Let’s not forget to extend a hand up to those who remain.
Despite the pain of a two-year budget impasse, less than one-third of Illinoisans support raising taxes
Poll results indicate that likely Illinois voters will be unforgiving of candidates for governor or the General Assembly who raise the state income tax or sales tax.
Rosemont to build Chicagoland’s 5th taxpayer-funded minor league baseball stadium
The village of Rosemont is moving forward on a $60 million taxpayer-funded minor league baseball stadium.
Illinois tax hike: This time it’s permanent
Illinois has lost 195,000 millennial college students since 2000
Illinois lost more millennial college students than any other state except New Jersey between 2000 and 2014, and Illinois’ loss of young people appears to be accelerating.
Fact-checking BGA’s claims on ‘low-spending’ Illinois
While the Better Government Association has claimed Illinois’ budget contains no fat to trim, a deeper analysis reveals the state has many areas of expensive inefficiency to reform in state and local government costs, the Medicaid program and K-12 education.
Illinois Senate Democrats pass $5.4B tax increase
Each Illinois household would pay an additional $1,125 in taxes each year, on average, under the Senate's tax-hike plan.
State Rep. Ives’ Senate tax hike roadblock
7 Illinois properties rank among nation’s top 100 property tax bills
Though most of the top 100 property tax bills came from New York, the state with the second most entries was Illinois. The 13th highest bill in the country belonged to Exelon’s nuclear generating station in Byron, Illinois, totaling $36.5 million in 2016.