Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s name will be on 150,000 prepaid gas and transit cards she plans to raffle off to Chicagoans. She’s trying again after aldermen initially rejected the $12.5 million proposal as an election stunt.
Amendment 1, billed as a “Workers' Rights Amendment,” actually covers so much more that it violates the U.S. Constitution. Parents and teachers worrying about it emboldening already militant teachers unions are suing to get it off the ballot.
Springfield lawmakers will be the fourth-highest paid legislators in the nation after giving themselves a $2,700 raise in the 2023 state budget. Lawmakers’ salaries have increased 8% since Gov. J.B. Pritzker took office.
A complex system of high taxes and restrictive licensing undermines the goals of marijuana legalization proponents – leaving $600 million in potential revenue uncollected while helping the illegal drug trade.
Drivers save 45 cents a gallon on gas by filling up at a station across the state line in Missouri, thanks to Illinois boosting gas taxes to No. 2 in the U.S. Gas station owners said Illinois drivers are filling up in other states.
The content of the signs isn’t quite as important as the message being delivered to Illinois’ gas station owners: “Push our campaign agenda, or we’ll treat you like a criminal and fine you $500 per day.”
In 2021, Chicago issued more automatic speeding tickets than there were residents of the city. Why? The city’s reliance on nickel-and-dime revenue is pushing bad policy choices that unfairly burden low-income residents. Adam Schuster talks Chicago speed cameras and why these fines are so regressive in nature.
In his latest re-election ad, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker touted his election-year tax relief as lowering prices for families. He failed to mention his plan expires shortly after the election and that he imposed thousands in new taxes as his term began.
Illinois’ employment recovery continued in March, but the state is still missing one in five jobs lost during the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic downturn and state restrictions.
Pension deficits are causing communities to consider more borrowing – and gambling with the proceeds – as pensions continue to consume bigger shares of budgets.
Membership in teachers unions has decreased nearly 10% since 2017, when public educators gained the right to stop handing their pay to unions.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and lawmakers passed modest tax relief that expires after the 2022 election. But 24 tax and fee hikes during Pritzker’s term will leave the average family $2,165 poorer thanks to higher taxes.
Illinois lawmakers pulled an all nighter to adjourn spring legislative session and pass a $46.5 billion budget by 6 a.m. on April 9. What did lawmakers accomplish? Adam Schuster joins the Policy Shop to talk through the line items. From stimulus checks for residents to mandatory signs touting gas tax relief, Illinois saw an election...