Nearly 55% of Illinois voters support the state opting into the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit Program. But it’s up to Gov. J.B. Pritzker to opt Illinois into the program. Only about one in five oppose him doing so.
Occupational licensing requirements present one of the steepest barriers to low-income Illinoisans starting careers in beauty services. Illinois requires anyone seeking to become a barber, cosmetologist, nail technician or hair braider to obtain a state license, essentially a permission slip to work. Unlike 45 other states, Illinois offers only one pathway to licensure for each...