Illinois House passes bill to scan license plates on highways

By Dylan Sharkey

04/12/2022

The Illinois House approved a law calling for the installation of license plate reading cameras. Big Brother just wants to solve crime.

TAGS: Illinois, interstate highway, license plate recognition camera

4 of Illinois’ past 10 governors went to prison

By Hannah Schmid

04/11/2022

Four of the past 10 former Illinois governors are among the public officials who have been convicted of offenses in Illinois. The state needs stricter ethics reforms to change its culture of corruption.

TAGS: corruption, governors, Illinois, prison

Illinois’ state, local tax burden highest in Midwest after 2nd-largest increase in U.S.

By Bryce Hill

04/11/2022

The effective state and local tax burden in Illinois has risen from 11.2% in 2019 to 12.9% in 2022. It is now the nation’s seventh highest.

TAGS: Illinois, tax burden

Experts: Illinois lawmakers wrong to back 80% funding level for pensions

By Adam Schuster

04/01/2022

Illinois’ 90% funding target already violates best practices, but some have proposed going even lower. That’s a bad idea based on a myth, according to the American Academy of Actuaries.

TAGS: Illinois, pensions

Champaign-Urbana loses 5,300 jobs in February as most Illinois metros gain

By Bryce Hill

04/01/2022

Illinois posted job growth of 19,600 in February, with bigger payrolls in 10 of 14 Illinois-based metropolitan areas.

TAGS: Champaign, economic recovery, Illinois, jobs, unemployment, Urbana

Bullied students find better education thanks to Illinois’ school choice program

03/30/2022

Jerry Valdivia’s children were scarred in a fire that killed their mom. They avoided bullying and found a nurturing private school thanks to Illinois’ school choice scholarship program.

TAGS: Illinois, Invest in Kids, school choice

Illinois’ leisure, hospitality industry suffering 3rd-worst recovery in U.S.

By Bryce Hill

03/30/2022

Illinois is still missing 77,000 jobs from its restaurants, bars, hotels and other leisure industries since COVID-19 shutdowns. That Illinois jobs sector has recovered only 72% of what it lost in the pandemic – one of the nation’s worst recoveries.

TAGS: COVID-19, economic recovery, Illinois, jobs, unemployment

Illinois adds 19,600 jobs in February, still missing 178,300 jobs from pandemic

By Bryce Hill

03/29/2022

Illinois’ employment recovery continued in February, but the state is still missing 21% of the jobs it lost in early 2020

TAGS: economic recovery, Illinois, jobs, unemployment

How school choice helped a Joliet student escape public school bullying

03/28/2022

When her son’s public school couldn’t stop the bullying, this Joliet mom took an administrator’s taunt about switching schools to heart. Illinois’ Invest in Kids tax credit scholarships have let them choose a private school despite COVID-19 hurting family finances.

TAGS: Illinois, Invest in Kids, school choice

81 of 102 Illinois counties lose population in 2021

By Bryce Hill

03/25/2022

Illinois’ record population decline affeced nearly all counties in 2021.

TAGS: Illinois, outmigration, population

Illinois

Illinois House passes bill to scan license plates on highways

4 of Illinois’ past 10 governors went to prison

Illinois’ state, local tax burden highest in Midwest after 2nd-largest increase in U.S.

Experts: Illinois lawmakers wrong to back 80% funding level for pensions

Champaign-Urbana loses 5,300 jobs in February as most Illinois metros gain

Bullied students find better education thanks to Illinois’ school choice program

Illinois’ leisure, hospitality industry suffering 3rd-worst recovery in U.S.

Illinois adds 19,600 jobs in February, still missing 178,300 jobs from pandemic

How school choice helped a Joliet student escape public school bullying

81 of 102 Illinois counties lose population in 2021

Chicago Forward 2026: A pro-growth plan to end city budget deficits

Report Archive

Diana Graham

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

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