SB 19: A bill preserving union jobs at all costs
SB 19: A bill preserving union jobs at all costs
A bill sitting on Gov. Bruce Rauner’s desk is all about preserving union jobs – placing union priorities above the people of Illinois.
Rick Schock
Rick Schock
“I feel like a dog whose owner has died. “I grew up in Bartlett and my neighbor was a millwright. I broke my drive shaft on my first car when I was 17 years old, but he had a little shop and said he could fix it for me. He cut it, welded it, good...
Forgotten Illinois: Newton
Forgotten Illinois: Newton
Illinois General Assembly proposes new internet privacy protections
Illinois General Assembly proposes new internet privacy protections
As the federal government repeals regulations requiring broadband companies to obtain consumers’ consent before using their browsing history and other personal information to create targeted ads, Illinois state politicians are moving to ramp up privacy protections. However, whether these bills would actually further those privacy goals or whether they would merely bolster Illinois’ class-action lawsuit industry while burdening businesses are open questions.
Decatur shrinks as Illinois manufacturing declines
Decatur shrinks as Illinois manufacturing declines
Macon County is one of the 89 counties out of Illinois’ 102 that are losing residents.
The shrinking Metro East
The shrinking Metro East
St. Clair and Madison counties saw combined population losses of more than 1,600 people due to out-migration to other states.
Alcohol bill aimed to help special interests, further status quo
Alcohol bill aimed to help special interests, further status quo
An amendment to Illinois’ longstanding Liquor Control Act creates curious guidelines that seem likely to favor a few specific Chicago businesses, while keeping the status quo intact for the rest.
The latest budget proposal for Illinois: A no-tax-hike plan
The latest budget proposal for Illinois: A no-tax-hike plan
The Taxpayer Bargain finally shifts the budget conversation in favor of taxpayers over politicians, with a plan that balances the state budget without tax hikes.
Illinois workers compensation wound
Illinois workers compensation wound
Illinois workers’ compensation rules cost taxpayers nearly $1 billion a year
Illinois workers’ compensation rules cost taxpayers nearly $1 billion a year
State and local costs for workers’ compensation are out of line with what other states pay.
Springfield population drops by nearly 1,000 residents from 2015-2016
Springfield population drops by nearly 1,000 residents from 2015-2016
Illinoisans from all areas are leaving the state in droves, and Springfield lawmakers need look no farther than the state capital to see the proof.
Illinois gives The Advisory Board Co. a $2.6M tax break
Illinois gives The Advisory Board Co. a $2.6M tax break
Under a 2015 agreement between the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and The Advisory Board Co., the state gave a tax credit worth millions of dollars in exchange for 55 jobs.
Illinois House adopts resolution to oppose Senate’s internet streaming tax
Illinois House adopts resolution to oppose Senate’s internet streaming tax
With bipartisan support, members of the Illinois House adopted a resolution opposing the internet streaming tax proposal – which might not even be legal — in the Senate’s “grand bargain.”
General Assembly passes SB 19, which would hinder care for IDOC inmates and saddle taxpayers with unnecessary costs
General Assembly passes SB 19, which would hinder care for IDOC inmates and saddle taxpayers with unnecessary costs
Senate Bill 19 could prevent the state from providing the best, most cost-effective medical services for inmates in the Illinois Department of Corrections, and it forces the state to pay for employees that may not be necessary.