Local Right-to-Work ordinances could help struggling communities
Local Right-to-Work ordinances could help struggling communities
Promote worker freedom by creating local right-to-work zones.
D.C. court to rehear Halbig ObamaCare decision
D.C. court to rehear Halbig ObamaCare decision
Good news for the Obama administration: the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has granted the administration’s request to rehear the court’s July 22 decision in Halbig v. Burwell. That decision struck down an Internal Revenue Service rule that made ObamaCare insurance subsidies available in all 50 states, even though the...
Record number of Illinois government workers opt out of pensions, into 401(k)-style plans
Record number of Illinois government workers opt out of pensions, into 401(k)-style plans
Illinois has the worst-funded pension systems in the nation. But there’s one group of state-government workers that isn’t worried about whether their retirement checks will be slashed. Today, more than 13 percent of all active employees in the State Universities Retirement System, or SURS, participate in a 401(k)-style plan instead of a traditional pension plan...
New evidence suggests health-exchange enrollment is rapidly declining
New evidence suggests health-exchange enrollment is rapidly declining
It’s been months since the end of ObamaCare’s first open-enrollment period and another is just around the corner in November. But as Illinois officials gear up for the second enrollment period, which begins in November, there is early evidence pointing toward more trouble ahead for the health-care overhaul. The state’s original goal was to enroll...
Illinois state retirees contribute too little to their health benefits
Illinois state retirees contribute too little to their health benefits
Illinois is already facing a shortfall of more than $56 billion in retiree health insurance debt. But today, many state workers retire in their 50s with full health-insurance benefits and then supplemental coverage once they are eligible for Medicare. State retirees pay a small portion of that total cost, but taxpayers are footing the bill...
Tattoo controversy shows how zoning regulation harms small-business growth
Tattoo controversy shows how zoning regulation harms small-business growth
Should the right to open a new business be put up to a public vote? At a meeting this week in Geneva, Ill., aldermen voted to reject tattoo artist Ramiro Guillen’s plan to open a tattoo parlor on Randall road because of opposition from other business owners. And, one alderman speculated, because of stereotypes about...
Illinois’ median wage has collapsed by $12,000 since 1999
Illinois’ median wage has collapsed by $12,000 since 1999
Illinois has long been known as a high-income state, but that‘s changed for many families in the middle. After decades of policy mistakes, the backbone of the state – Illinois’ middle class – has been hollowed out. Throughout Illinois’ history, innovation and high employment led to high incomes, making the Land of Lincoln a wealthy...
By 2029, Illinois will spend more on pensions than education
By 2029, Illinois will spend more on pensions than education
Hardworking Illinois families and entrepreneurs are just four months away from tax relief. The state’s personal income tax rate is slated to drop to 3.75 percent from 5 percent in January 2015. But a number of lawmakers and special-interest groups don’t want to let that happen. Tax-hike advocates across the state argue that Illinois needs...
Labor Day poll shows popular support for Right-to-Work laws
Labor Day poll shows popular support for Right-to-Work laws
As is their custom around Labor Day, the Gallup Organization has released a nationwide poll on attitudes toward labor unions. While a majority of Americans still approve of unions, their support is close to an all-time low. And support for Right-to-Work laws is strong. According to the Gallup poll, 71 percent of Americans would vote...
It’s now a Class 4 felony to hide public records in Illinois
It’s now a Class 4 felony to hide public records in Illinois
It’s not all bad news in Illinois. Sometimes our politicians get it right. Illinois lawmakers have made it a Class 4 felony to intentionally hide public records from the public. House Bill 4216, introduced by state Rep. Anthony DeLuca, D-Chicago Heights, was passed unanimously by both the Illinois House and Senate. It was signed into...
Citizens auditing committees could yield big savings for taxpayers
Citizens auditing committees could yield big savings for taxpayers
With improved state transparency laws and communities all over Illinois voluntarily becoming more transparent online, there’s never been a better time for citizens to get involved and hold local government accountable. But simply advocating for transparent government isn’t enough to identify waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars. Ultimately, government watchdogs must make use of...
Too fast too spurious: Quinn vetoes speed limit increase
Too fast too spurious: Quinn vetoes speed limit increase
When it comes to Illinoisans and their cars, Gov. Pat Quinn can’t seem to make up his mind. This time last year, Quinn signed legislation upping the speed limit on rural interstates to 70 mph from 65 mph. He cited a fear that if Illinois didn’t keep up with higher speed limits in other states,...
Judge rules state workers don’t have to pay for retiree health coverage
Judge rules state workers don’t have to pay for retiree health coverage
An Illinois 7th Circuit judge has ruled that the state cannot make deductions from state retirees’ pension checks for their retiree health insurance coverage. Based on this temporary injunction, state retirees no longer have to pay 1- 2 percent of their pension check for their retirement health-insurance coverage. Judge Steven Nardulli of the state’s 7th...
Harris v. Quinn freed workers from paying for union political agenda
Harris v. Quinn freed workers from paying for union political agenda
The Illinois Policy Institute’s recent report on union spending focused on Illinois’ big, statewide public-sector unions, but there are lots of important locals that are misusing their members’ funds as well. One of the most interesting is Healthcare IL-IN, a Service Employees International Union, or SEIU, local that played a controversial role in organizing day-care...