House Bill 2827 would require all Illinois private schools to report personal information about students to local and state authorities – a prime example of Illinois government overreach and an infringement of parents’ constitutional rights.
Illinois is dead last of the 50 states in its ability to handle a financial crisis. It couldn’t last a month. The rainy-day fund that should be its primary reserve, and that Gov. J.B. Pritzker lauded himself for refilling, could barely cover two weeks.
The latest forecast from the Illinois General Assembly estimates Illinois will have $737 million to $1.2 billion less in revenue than Gov. J.B. Pritzker hopes to spend.
Illinois continues to lose residents to other states. Another Illinoisan left every 9 minutes and 21 seconds from July 2023 to June 2024.
Illinois schools would be required to share curriculum materials with parents under a pair of bills in Springfield. State Rep. Amy Grant’s House Bill 3806 and state Sen. Andrew Chesney’s Senate Bill 2080 require school materials be made available to parents.
The Chicago Teachers Union entered a 30-day “cooling off” period following its rejection of a neutral fact-finder’s contract recommendations. The 30 days are up. The union can go on strike after March 7.
Newer state employees would get a $13 billion pension benefit boost if Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s fiscal year 2026 budget proposal passes. What should be a minor fix is being used to create an even bigger Illinois pension mess.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson plans to add 50 new speed cameras to city streets during the coming year to add $11.4 million from fines and fees to his deficit budget.
Illinois has some of the highest property taxes in the country. Chapter 9 would allow local governments to address the root cause.
More than 600,000 Illinoisans will have a chance to send a message to state leaders on the most daunting issues, including Illinois’ property taxes.
Most neighboring states are gaining residents from people moving across state lines. Even of the states losing people, Illinois is losing at a significantly faster rate.
The “millionaire tax” will increase Illinois’ tax burden without necessarily increasing public funds. Revenue intended for education may fall short of expectations and will likely be absorbed by school administration before reaching students.
Democrats in the Illinois Senate filed a bill to remove student academic growth data as a measure for teacher evaluations. The Illinois Federation of Teachers backs the bill – another effort by the union to obstruct accountability.