Illinois lawmakers fail to replace their ethics watchdog

By Hannah Max

01/21/2022

The Illinois General Assembly is without a watchdog. The former legislative inspector general quit after saying she was just a paper tiger. Now lawmakers cannot agree on her replacement.

TAGS: ethics reform, Illinois, Legislative Inspector General, watchdog

How to expand success of Illinois’ tax credit scholarships

By Dylan Sharkey

01/14/2022

The Invest in Kids scholarship tax credit program helps low-income families pay for private schools. Making the program permanent and expanding it would help more students attend schools that best fit their needs.

TAGS: Illinois, Invest in Kids, school choice

Illinois 1 of 7 states to see residents move out faster in 2021

By Bryce Hill

01/14/2022

Illinoisans fled at a record pace in 2021. The state lost 122,460 residents on net because of moves to other states.

TAGS: Illinois, outmigration, population

Illinois considers local gas taxes atop doubled state gas tax

By Dylan Sharkey

01/14/2022

Illinois has the second-highest gas taxes in the nation, but a new bill would let cities add a local gas tax on top of the state and federal taxes and fees. Illinois doubled its gasoline tax in 2019, part of $5.2 billion in new taxpayer costs since Gov. J.B. Pritzker took office.

TAGS: gas tax, Illinois

St. Charles City Council rejects vaccine mandate

By Dylan Sharkey

01/06/2022

Chicago and Cook County have implemented vaccine mandates, requiring proof of vaccination to enter gyms, restaurants and other venues. St. Charles, which is in Kane and DuPage counties, does not fall under the purview of these mandates, but has pre-emptively opposed such a rule.

TAGS: Illinois, St. Charles, vaccine mandate

Illinois loses more people faster to other states during COVID-19 pandemic

By Bryce Hill

01/05/2022

Illinois, California and New York shrank the most and lost people fastest during the COVID-19 pandemic. Texas and Florida grew the most. Idaho, Utah and Montana grew the fastest.

TAGS: COVID-19, Illinois, outmigration, population

Illinois sees among worst spending drops early in COVID-19 pandemic

By Jon Josko

01/04/2022

While the start of the COVID-19 pandemic caused consumer spending to drop across the U.S., the decline was worse in Illinois. Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s harsher restrictions appear to be the culprit.

TAGS: COVID-19, economy, expenditures, Illinois, restrictions

Illinois loses resident every 4 minutes, 18 seconds: like Springfield vanishing each year

By Bryce Hill

12/23/2021

More Illinoisans fled for other states from July 2020-July 2021 than during any other year in recorded history, driving the state’s record population decline.

TAGS: Illinois, outmigration, population, U.S. Census Bureau

Moving vans leave Illinois at over 9-times rate of other Midwestern states

By Bryce Hill

12/22/2021

Illinois suffered the largest population decline in the Midwest and of neighboring states during 2021.

TAGS: Illinois, outmigration, population

Illinois breaks record for population loss, outmigration in 2021

By Bryce Hill

12/21/2021

Despite a higher-than-expected 2020 population count, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates Illinoisans moving away was the sole reason for the state’s record loss of the equivalent of nearly everyone in Springfield.

TAGS: Illinois, outmigration, population, U.S. Census Bureau

Unions flood politicians with cash: How it buys clout in Illinois General Assembly

Government unions in Illinois have tremendous power. Most are allowed to go on strike and can bargain over virtually anything.1 It creates an uneven playing field, with unions able to demand costly provisions in their contracts and threaten to strike – denying Illinoisans needed services – to get what they want.2 Until recently, the potential...

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Unions flood politicians with cash: How it buys clout in Illinois General Assembly

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Toni Larocco

Policy lessons from Illinois’ exodus of people and money

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