Illinois lawmakers hand Pritzker another tax loss, pass Chicago pension hike

01/19/2021

Lame duck session was busy even when House Democrats weren’t focused on replacing Mike Madigan as speaker. Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s small business tax hike died as 23 bills were passed, including one making Chicago’s pension woes worse.

TAGS: firefighter pensions, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, lame duck session, police misconduct, unions

51 House Democrats back Madigan for speaker in caucus vote

By Austin Berg

01/11/2021

See who your representative backed in a historic fight for the Illinois House speakership.

TAGS: corruption, House Speaker, lame duck session, Mike Madigan

Lame-duck Illinois Senate passes pay hikes for state department leaders

By Joe Kaiser

01/09/2019

The outgoing Illinois Senate voted with the House in approving large pay increases for state department heads. The bill now heads to the governor’s desk, though likely not until J.B. Pritzker is sworn in.

TAGS: Illinois Senate, JB Pritzker, lame duck session, salaries

Veto session ends with almost no overrides, but lame duck looms in January

By Heather Weiner

12/08/2016

The failure of almost all potential veto overrides in 2016 is a victory for Illinois taxpayers.

TAGS: Bruce Rauner, lame duck session, veto

Reps. Franks and McSweeney look to tackle lame-duck tax hikes

By Austin Berg

12/02/2016

Lame-duck session allows lawmakers already ousted by voters to act with reckless abandon before leaving the Statehouse.

TAGS: David McSweeney, Jack Franks, lame duck session

Illinois legislators pitch proposals to stop lame-duck tax hikes

By Ted Dabrowski

12/02/2016

Illinois needs structural reforms to fix its fiscal problems, not a tax hike by lawmakers on their way out the door.

TAGS: David McSweeney, income tax, Jack Franks, lame duck session, personal income, taxes

No more blank checks for ObamaCare insurers

By Naomi Lopez Bauman

12/16/2014

The new federal spending bill, dubbed the “CRomnibus,” codifies that the ACA payments to insurers are budget-neutral, as the revenue to fund them will come from fees already assessed on health-insurance plans. This is not the blank check that insurers were hoping for.

TAGS: budget, health care, health insurance, lame duck session

Veto session week 2 recap

By Donovan Griffith

12/06/2014

Action, or lack thereof, on the 2011 income-tax hikes, a minimum-wage increase, SEIU training and more affect Illinoisans in the wake of a lame-duck death.

TAGS: Chicago, lame duck session

Illinoisans will receive income-tax relief in 2015

By Jane McEnaney

12/04/2014

With a lame-duck session dead in the water, the 2011 income-tax hikes will sunset on schedule; a minimum-wage debate will wait until Rauner takes office; and taxpayers will not be on the hook for a state-funded health insurance exchange.

TAGS: Bruce Rauner, income tax, lame duck session

Veto session week 1 recap: minimum-wage hike, mandatory caregiver training still up for grabs

By Donovan Griffith

11/22/2014

Ridesharing regulations, ObamaCare exchange and extension of the 2011 tax hikes all lay dormant.

TAGS: lame duck session, veto

Fixing Illinois pension crisis by amending nation’s most-restrictive pension law is legal, effective

Illinois is home to one of the worst pension crises in the country.1 At 39% funded, according to the nonpartisan Pew Charitable Trusts, Illinois has the worst pension funding ratio of any state.2 By contrast, neighboring Wisconsin’s pension system is 103% funded.3 In fiscal year 2022, Illinois’ total general funds pension costs, including pension bond...

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Fixing Illinois pension crisis by amending nation’s most-restrictive pension law is legal, effective

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The Rev. Phalese Binion

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

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