Nearly half of the 20 tax and fee hikes passed to support a record $40 billion state budget and $45 billion infrastructure plan hit on New Year’s Day.
The numerous tax and fee hikes in Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s capital spending plan more than offset the promised savings of the governor’s “fair tax” plan.
AFSCME gave $71,400 in October to Friends of Michael J. Madigan – the same election committee the Illinois House speaker used to pay legal fees in a sexual harassment lawsuit.
Excise taxes have failed to rehabilitate Illinois’ failing fiscal health. But lawmakers have yet to kick the habit.
Illinois will impose a new sales tax on vehicle trade-ins beginning New Year’s Day. That’s why car dealerships have been running radio ads for weeks telling Illinoisans to come on down before the ball drops.
Included in Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s capital plan is increased taxing power for some county governments to create or raise countywide gas taxes. Will County could be the first to exercise that authority.
Illinois could give every undergraduate in public college nearly $70k a year if it spent the same 4% of its budget on pensions as it did throughout the 90s, rather than the 25% it spends today.
Chicagoans will pay higher taxes on rideshare trips in 2020 as part of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s first budget.
Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan settled a sexual harassment case involving his former political lieutenant, but the related corruption implications are far from over.
There is little doubt the FBI is targeting the longtime House speaker and Democratic political boss in their sweeping investigation of Illinois corruption.
Jan. 1 marks a second wave of taxes aimed at drivers to support an infrastructure package championed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker and shrouded in corruption allegations.
Just Cook County food stamp recipients were facing work requirements Jan. 1 if they were under age 50, able-bodied and had no dependents. Now the rules will apply throughout Illinois starting April 1.
Why is Illinois construction so weak? As it turns out, big government programs can’t paper over weak fundamentals.