Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill to consolidate local police and firefighter pensions from across downstate Illinois, but beneficiaries are suing because the state is notorious for poor pension management.
Classrooms First Act unanimously passes Illinois House committee
A bill to channel education dollars from duplicate bureaucracy and into classrooms or back to property taxpayers won committee approval. It is headed for a full vote in the Illinois House.
Three myths about district consolidation under the Classrooms First Act
A bill that could reduce property taxes and improve education quality faces a misinformation campaign from school district administrators seeking to preserve wasteful bureaucracy. Here are the facts about the Classrooms First Act.
Consolidating school districts could cut family’s tax bill by $1,030
House Bill 7 would create a process to review and recommend consolidating school district administration, with the goal of cutting bureaucracy so the money goes to classrooms or back to taxpayers.
113 six-figure school district administrators oppose Classrooms First Act
Of the 113 school district administrators earning six-figure salaries who oppose a bill to reduce bureaucracy, 21 are above the $200,000 mark. The bill intends to put more money into classrooms or back in taxpayers’ pockets.
Illinois wastes taxes supporting too many school district bureaucracies
Illinois could put $708 million more toward classrooms or property tax relief if it reduced school district bureaucracy to national average.
2019 laws in review, Illinois lawmakers passed both nice and naughty bills
The Illinois General Assembly passed over 600 new laws in 2019. Some helped taxpayers, but many more hurt as they spent $85 billion while doing little to fix the pension crisis.
Pritzker signs pension sweetener bill without knowing the cost
Illinois’ pension crisis is the nation’s worst. Maybe that’s because elected officials take a problem they aren’t sure exists, apply a solution they don’t know will work and never determine the cost.
Illinois Senate president backs bill merging police, fire pension funds
Illinois Senate President John Cullerton is championing a bill to merge more than 640 local police and fire pension funds into two investment pools. With lawmakers returning to Springfield for veto session, action on the bill may be near.
Pension consolidation is a tiny step in fixing Illinois’ gigantic problem
If Illinois groups could come together to bring the same enthusiasm and support to a constitutional amendment, the state could fix its pension problem once and for all.