Seal-Rite Door exits Rockford for Wisconsin

By Vincent Caruso

12/11/2018

Seal-Rite’s doors are hardly the first to close in Illinois and reopen in the Badger State.

TAGS: outmigration, pensions, property taxes, rockford, taxes, workers compensation

Steel manufacturer shutters Illinois plant, takes 100 jobs to Indiana

By Janelle Cammenga

12/08/2018

Alliance Steel Corp. will move 100 jobs to Gary, Indiana, with plans to add 30 more.

TAGS: manufacturing, outmigration, property taxes, taxes, workers compensation

Coalition kicks cronies in Springfield showdown over car-sharing

By Austin Berg

11/29/2018

The car-sharing victory is real business friendliness. And that means Illinoisans – whether or not they ever rent their car through an app – have cause for a little celebration.

TAGS: Bruce Rauner, carsharing, Getaround, Pam Althoff, Turo, veto

Restaurant group demands protection from food truck competition in Chicago

By Joe Barnas

11/23/2018

A trade organization is seeking to insulate the restaurant industry from competition in an Illinois Supreme Court battle over Chicago’s food truck regulations.

TAGS: food trucks, Illinois Restaurant Association, regulations

This Thanksgiving, food stamps will buy nearly 14 percent of Illinoisans’ meals

By Joe Barnas

11/21/2018

Food stamp participation has seen an encouraging decrease, but lagging economic growth leaves Illinois ranked highest among neighboring states in SNAP enrollment.

TAGS: food stamps, SNAP, unemployment

Village moves to seize popular Chinese restaurant for nonexistent developers

By Janelle Cammenga

11/20/2018

Chicago suburb failed once, but is trying again to redevelop its downtown and displace a business popular for more than 40 years. Without a developer, they only can hope that if they rebuild it, someone will come.

TAGS: development, eminent domain, Fox River Grove, jobs, Kelo v. City of New London

As nation celebrates small businesses, Illinois politicians take them for granted

By Orphe Divounguy, Bryce Hill

11/19/2018

A history of tax hikes to prop up unsustainable spending makes Illinois a frosty climate for small businesses.

TAGS: employment, jobs, progressive income tax, small business, spending cap, taxes

Illinois strikes out on Amazon HQ2

By Brad Weisenstein

11/15/2018

Amazon picked two of the 20 remaining cities to split its $5 billion, 50,000-job HQ2, with a third city receiving 5,000 jobs. Illinois struck out on all three.

TAGS: Amazon, EDGE: Economic Development for a Growing Economy, jobs, tax credits

Senate bill would strike car-sharing startups with new taxes, regulations

By Vincent Caruso

11/14/2018

With lobbyist backing, lawmakers passed a bill in May aimed at driving out competitors for rental car companies. Gov. Bruce Rauner rejected the bill, but lawmakers could revive it during veto session.

TAGS: Bruce Rauner, Getaround, Pam Althoff, regulations, Turo

Illinois’ private sector jobs growth among worst in the nation since 2017 tax hike

By Bryce Hill, Chena Underhill

11/02/2018

Jobs growth in Illinois has gone from middle of the pack to back of the line.

TAGS: income tax, jobs, taxes, unemployment