Lake County shortchanged by Local Government Distributive Fund
Lake County shortchanged by Local Government Distributive Fund
Lake County gets back just 73 cents for every dollar it pays into the LGDF.
DuPage County shortchanged by Local Government Distributive Fund
DuPage County shortchanged by Local Government Distributive Fund
DuPage County gets back just 79 cents for every dollar it pays into LGDF.
Illinois lawmakers propose 59 new unfunded mandates for local governments
Illinois lawmakers propose 59 new unfunded mandates for local governments
State lawmakers should first focus on ways in which they can give local governments more autonomy, rather than adding to the hundreds of unfunded mandates municipalities currently face.
Salary perks in Jersey County’s school-district contract
Salary perks in Jersey County’s school-district contract
School-district contracts are often full of perks that taxpayers don’t realize they’re paying for.
Illinois politicians propose $100B in tax hikes over next 5 years
Illinois politicians propose $100B in tax hikes over next 5 years
The array of six tax-hike proposals adds up to more than the state’s total projected general-fund spending in fiscal years 2016, 2017 and 2018 – combined.
Madigan, Cullerton bonuses among largest in the nation
Madigan, Cullerton bonuses among largest in the nation
Only a handful of state legislative leaders earn larger leadership bonuses than Illinois’.
Amtrak: Hardly derailed
Amtrak: Hardly derailed
If Illinois subsidies to Amtrak disappeared tomorrow, barely anyone would notice a difference.
Illinoisans pay high taxes compared to other Midwest families
Illinoisans pay high taxes compared to other Midwest families
The typical Illinois family pays the third-highest effective tax rate in the region.
Rauner budget would keep funding steady for more than a third of state agencies
Rauner budget would keep funding steady for more than a third of state agencies
Total proposed appropriations for more than one-third of state agencies – 37 departments out of nearly 100 – would change by 5 percent or less.
Rauner details landmark budget
Rauner details landmark budget
One of the biggest wins in this proposal is that the governor did not propose tax increases or borrowing.
Full text: Gov. Rauner’s budget address
Full text: Gov. Rauner’s budget address
Transcript, provided by Gov. Bruce Rauner's office, of his first budget address, as prepared for delivery, to the General Assembly.
Proposed fiscal year 2016 budget
Proposed fiscal year 2016 budget
Gov. Rauner’s Budget Address Operating Book (PDF) Capital Budget (PDF) Capital Projects List (xls) Operating Budget Detail (xls) Operating Budget Detail Data Description (PDF) Operating Budgeting for Results Detail (xls) Operating Performance Measures Detail (xls)
Budget Solutions 2016
Budget Solutions 2016
It’s the time for a comeback – one that is spurred by pro-growth policy reforms.
State-employee health benefits: Avoiding the ObamaCare ‘Cadillac tax’
State-employee health benefits: Avoiding the ObamaCare ‘Cadillac tax’
Illinois government should restructure its health-insurance offerings to be more in line with what is offered in the private sector, and in a way that does not trigger the federal tax penalty.