State worker who allegedly kept ‘mouth shut’ about ‘rape in Champaign’ to receive $2.7M in pension payments

By Austin Berg

01/16/2020

House Speaker Mike Madigan has built a substantial political army through taxpayer-funded promises.

TAGS: amendment, Champaign, constitutional amendment, debt, Forrest Ashby, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, Illinois General Assembly, JB Pritzker, Michael McClain, Mike Madigan, Mike McClain, pension benefits, pension contributions, pension costs, pension crisis, pension debt, pension obligations, pension reform, pension spending, pensions, rape, Springfield

Bill would stop Pritzker from paying state workers on the side

By Brad Weisenstein

01/12/2020

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has used his private fortune to pay $3 million in state expenses, including boosting salaries of 16 top staffers. Some lawmakers want the ‘unethical’ practice to stop.

TAGS: bipartisan, clout, conflict of interest, corruption, fair maps, house rules, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, Illinois General Assembly, independent maps, JB Pritzker, lawmaker pay, lawmakers, Legislative Inspector General, legislative map, lobbying, lobbyists, mapmaking, revolving door, salary increase, Smart Scale, Springfield, watchdog

Madigan celebrates 35th anniversary as Illinois House speaker

By Austin Berg

01/12/2020

Illinoisans will soon cast a vote on the biggest ballot question in the history of Madigan’s record-breaking speakership.

TAGS: anniversary, credit rating, Daley, debt, fair tax, FBI, federal investigation, graduated income tax, house rules, House Speaker, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, Illinois General Assembly, junk credit rating, legislative map, lobbying, lobbyists, mapmaking, Mike Madigan, patronage, pension crisis, pension debt, population loss, progressive income tax, progressive tax, property taxes, redistricting, Richard Daley, Springfield, tax burden, U.S. Census Bureau

With voters set to decide on progressive income tax, Illinois wealth flight among worst in the nation

By Orphe Divounguy, Bryce Hill

01/07/2020

New data shows Illinois since 2010 lost up to $32 billion in income from people moving out. Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s graduated income tax plan would hike rates on residents most likely to leave the state, on net.

TAGS: graduated income tax, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, Illinois General Assembly, income, IRS: Internal Revenue Service, JB Pritzker, outmigration, pension reform, population, population loss, progressive income tax, progressive tax, spending cap, Springfield, tax rates, U.S. Census Bureau, wealth, wealthy

Indiana is building far more single-family homes than Illinois

By Austin Berg

01/03/2020

The historic change comes as skyrocketing property tax bills eat into Illinois homeowners’ bottom line.

TAGS: constitutional amendment, home values, homeownership, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, Illinois General Assembly, Indiana, JB Pritzker, pension costs, pension reform, population, population loss, property taxes, single-family home, Springfield, state constitution, tax burden, tax hikes, tax increase, U.S. Census Bureau, working-age

Illinois saw nation’s worst population loss during the decade

By Orphe Divounguy, Bryce Hill

12/30/2019

Illinois suffered its sixth consecutive year of population decline in 2019, driven entirely by residents leaving for other states.

TAGS: 401(k), debt, fiscal, flat tax, general revenue fund, Great Recession, high taxes, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, Illinois General Assembly, JB Pritzker, job creation, jobs growth, labor force, Mike Madigan, outmigration, pension debt, pension reform, population, population loss, revenue, shrink, Springfield, tax burden, tax hikes, tax increase, U.S. Census Bureau, working-age

2019 laws in review, Illinois lawmakers passed both nice and naughty bills

By Mindy Ruckman

12/20/2019

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.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, capital plan, consolidation, Cook County, corruption, expungement, free speech, gas tax, government unions, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, Illinois General Assembly, JB Pritzker, lawmakers, Luis Arroyo, Martin Sandoval, Open Illinois Checkbook, progressive income tax, public employee unions, record sealing, Springfield, tax hikes, taxes, transparency, vehicle registration, worker freedom

Pritzker signs pension sweetener bill without knowing the cost

By Adam Schuster

12/20/2019

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.

TAGS: bipartisan, consolidation, constitutional amendment, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, Illinois General Assembly, JB Pritzker, lawmakers, pension benefits, pension costs, pension crisis, pension debt, pension reform, safe harbor, Springfield, tier 1, tier 2

Report: Tax rain, plastic bottles and plastic bags to hire more state workers

By Ben Szalinski

12/17/2019

A new report recommends taxes on plastic water bottles, plastic bags and storm water as a way to hire more state environmental regulators.

TAGS: Chicago, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois General Assembly, JB Pritzker, pension reform, pension spending, plastic bag tax, plastic bottle tax, public health, rain tax, Springfield, University of Chicago

9 new Illinois taxes totaling $1.7B take effect Jan. 1

By Adam Schuster

12/15/2019

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.

TAGS: cannabis, cigarette tax, economy, electric car, electric vehicle, gas tax, graduated income tax, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, Illinois General Assembly, JB Pritzker, license, marijuana, motor fuel tax, net position, net worth, New Year's Day, online sales tax, parking garages, parking tax, pension reform, progressive income tax, registration fee, Spending, spending cap, Springfield, state constitution, tax hikes, tax increase, taxes, trade-in tax, vehicle registration

Power in payments: Illinois can help unbanked residents, save money by adopting best practices in payment methods

Each year, tens of billions of dollars flow through Illinois state government.1 These flows all depend on methods of payment. In deciding on those payment methods, policymakers must consider a number of important factors, including security controls, cost effectiveness, accessibility, speed and allowance for choice. This report shows that by adopting best practices across all...

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Power in payments: Illinois can help unbanked residents, save money by adopting best practices in payment methods

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Ifeoma Nkemdi

Policy lessons from Illinois’ exodus of people and money

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students