Pension buyout extension passes, forecast to save $1.4 billion
Pension buyout extension passes, forecast to save $1.4 billion
Renewing the state pension buyout for two years means flexibility for retirees and savings for the state.
Will new state budget skirt law meant to protect transportation money?
Will new state budget skirt law meant to protect transportation money?
Year after year the state budget has diverted money meant for transportation to pay the bills. It’s a good bet the fiscal 2027 budget will do it again.
Pritzker budget gives NASCAR, PGA up to $9 million in taxpayer money
Pritzker budget gives NASCAR, PGA up to $9 million in taxpayer money
The proposed Illinois budget gives money to NASCAR and PGA as lawmakers weigh a Bears stadium tax break, putting taxpayers on the hook for private sports costs.
Tax hike threat looms as Illinois budget deadline nears
Tax hike threat looms as Illinois budget deadline nears
They are signaling a willingness to raise taxes as the May 31 deadline quickly approaches.
New data: Illinois homeowners pay country’s highest property taxes
New data: Illinois homeowners pay country’s highest property taxes
The state again had the highest residential property tax rate in the U.S. in 2024, tied with New Jersey.
Delayed property tax bills cost Chicago Public Schools $34 million
Delayed property tax bills cost Chicago Public Schools $34 million
Chicago Public Schools borrowed over $1.8 billion amid a delay in last year’s Cook County bills, adding interest costs and exposing the fragility of the district’s finances.
Bad revenue forecasts drive reckless state spending
Bad revenue forecasts drive reckless state spending
Lawmakers too often decide what to spend without an accurate picture of what will come in.
Illinois drivers pay nation’s second-highest gas taxes ahead of Memorial Day
Illinois drivers pay nation’s second-highest gas taxes ahead of Memorial Day
Gas prices in Illinois are up 48% from last Memorial Day. Here’s what to know about the state’s gas tax.
Vallas: The Chicago City Council must empower itself for better budget oversight
Vallas: The Chicago City Council must empower itself for better budget oversight
Going into this budget cycle, there should be an added urgency for the City Council to build its capacity to play a co-equal role in the budget process and push to adopt more reforms and efficiencies to control spending.
2 ways to improve Illinois spending decisions
2 ways to improve Illinois spending decisions
Lawmakers make costly decisions without understanding the economic impact.
A Bears deal shouldn’t leave property taxpayers on the sidelines
A Bears deal shouldn’t leave property taxpayers on the sidelines
Any deal linked to a stadium should benefit everyone.
Illinoisans can read a budget before it passes for the first time in at least 10 years
Illinoisans can read a budget before it passes for the first time in at least 10 years
Bucking the practice of recent years, lawmakers introduced the proposed budget more than three weeks before the May 31 end of the session.
Ruling shows Illinois must address home equity theft
Ruling shows Illinois must address home equity theft
A federal judge found Cook County liable for damages to taxpayers who lost the equity in their homes because of an unconstitutional state law.
Pritzker’s social media fee could be costly legal disaster
Pritzker’s social media fee could be costly legal disaster
The governor’s proposal would face challenges.