Illinois’ combined state and average local retail sales tax rate topped 8.8% in 2022. That’s the 8th-highest in the nation and the highest in the Midwest.
Illinois Gov. J.B Pritzker’s latest campaign boast is how he’s providing relief for families, but none of it is permanent. He created much of the problem, and all the tax relief he’s proposing would expire after the election.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s newest campaign ad credits him for paying the state’s bills on time. The commercial fails to mention the influx of federal stimulus for the COVID-19 pandemic that kept Illinois’ finances afloat.
In one of his first re-election political TV ads, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker takes credit for passing a balanced budget. Budget documents tell a different story, showing a deficit instead of the reported surplus.
House Bill 4424 would give every Illinois municipal government the power to impose a 3-cent per gallon tax on gas without first gaining the approval of local taxpayers at the polls.
Couples’ wallets won’t feel the love this holiday as inflation soars and Illinois taxes kill the mood. Here’s how much extra a little romance will cost this Valentine’s Day.
Despite claims Illinois’ budget was “balanced,” a closer look shows federal stimulus money propped it up. Only long-term reform on pensions, taxes, health care and school district consolidation can balance state finances and end 21 years of deficits.
Illinois is one of the few states that taxes groceries. Gov. J.B. Pritzker is suggesting a suspension of the 1% grocery tax to help struggling families. Some lawmakers said if Pritzker really wants to help, he needs to end grocery sales taxes.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker proposed a delay in the automatic state gas tax hikes he ushered in when he doubled the tax. The election-year temporary relief should become a permanent repeal.
Chicago property taxpayers face a nearly 5% hike this year after a decade in which their bills nearly doubled. The city failed to capitalize on the COVID-19 stimulus windfall like others did.
A financial watchdog report estimated each taxpayer in Chicago would need to pay $43,100 to settle the city’s debt. It stands at No. 2 for big U.S. cities. Blame city leaders for repeatedly making pension debt worse.
Despite claims during Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s speech, his budget documents show a flood of federal COVID-19 aid temporarily shrank Illinois’ deficit but failed to balance its budget. His next budget will not end well.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker is expected to unveil $1 billion in temporary tax cuts on groceries, property taxes and gas bills in his new budget. It all goes away just months after he seeks reelection Nov. 8, changing little.
A think tank advised Illinois leaders not to use temporary federal COVID-19 relief aid for on-going programs. It would lead to future funding shortfalls.