Many reforms are still needed in Illinois higher education system despite credit rating affirmations and upgrades to seven Illinois universities.

CPS’ 2017-18 budget shows cuts for many schools as student populations shrink, despite an increase in per-pupil spending for the district as a whole.

Senate Bill 1 is yet another unfair bailout of long-term mismanagement within Chicago Public Schools.

The special session will deal with Senate Bill 1, an education finance bill that contains an annual $215 million pension bailout for Chicago Public Schools.

Illinois taxpayers deserve to have a voice in budgeting decisions as politicians continually look to hike their taxes.

Of the three major ratings agencies, only Moody’s Investors Service has indicated that Illinois lawmakers’ lack of long-term solutions for reducing that debt is a severe problem.

Even with 32 percent tax hike, Illinois State Comptroller expects only $5 billion of the state’s unpaid bills to be paid down.

As part of the just-enacted state budget, the General Assembly has moved up the expiration of a tax break for sales of gasoline mixed with ethanol. This will likely make the price at the pump go up.

Tax hikes on struggling Illinoisans as the state is bordering on a recession, a lack of structural spending reforms, no true pension reform, $100 million in pork spending, and the continued threat of a junk credit rating are among the ways the new Illinois budget fails taxpayers.

The state will eat a 32 percent larger chunk out of most workers’ paychecks, retroactive to July 1.