The Civic Federation’s budget plan repeats old mistakes with multibillion-dollar tax hikes and no serious, structural reform.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle grow more and more powerful as the size of state and local government increases.

Lawmakers need to look at the state’s major spending drivers instead of increasing taxes, which will continue to drive more people out of the state.

The proposal would be part of the Senate’s “grand bargain,” which also includes a multibillion-dollar income tax hike.

Lawmakers should address wasteful spending in higher education, which is hurting students, their families, instructors and taxpayers.

The New York-based credit agency cited the lack of action on a budget as the primary reason for the downgrade.

Illinois state senators are considering a budget with massive tax hikes, but is short on critical pension reforms, which would save taxpayers billions.

Attempts to cut off state worker pay need not end in a tax hike.

Illinois spends more money on retirement costs than on university operations – and tuition keeps rising to prop up this overspending. Instead of hiking taxes to maintain current spending habits in higher education, politicians should shift priorities from propping up six-figure administrators to keeping tuition affordable for students.