For Illinois, COVID-19 cuts much deeper than public health

By Austin Berg

03/20/2020

Springfield needs to pull policy levers to mitigate harm. And they should do so as quickly as possible.

TAGS: coronavirus, COVID-19, economy, JB Pritzker, occupational licensing, progressive income tax, small business, unemployment

Pension reform is more popular than Pritzker, and other Illinois polling data that may surprise you

By Austin Berg

03/12/2020

Three points stick out in recently released numbers: First, J.B. Pritzker is not a popular governor. Second, pollsters need to get real about the “fair tax” fantasy. And third, pension reform draws a diverse base of support, except at the Statehouse

TAGS: fair tax, JB Pritzker, Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, pensions, progressive income tax

Pritzker budget relies on $800M in legally questionable accounting gimmicks

By Adam Schuster

03/05/2020

Illinois law requires the governor to propose a budget balanced with existing revenues. To do so, Gov. J.B. Pritzker proposes cutting aid owed local governments, raiding the road fund, letting health insurance costs pile up and withholding taxpayers’ refunds.

TAGS: accounting, budget, JB Pritzker, pensions, progressive income tax

Why the soda tax ‘worked’ and the progressive tax won’t

By Austin Berg

02/28/2020

There’s no doubt: the county taxed soda more, so people bought less of it. It’s a simple lesson. So why doesn’t Springfield get it?

TAGS: Cook County, home price index, Illinois Constitution, JB Pritzker, outmigration, progressive income tax, property taxes, soda tax, tax burden, Toni Preckwinkle

Illinois’ pension costs, debt are growing far faster than state predicted

By Bill Reveille

02/27/2020

The pension crisis is worse than the state admits, and the state’s official projections cannot be trusted.

TAGS: Edgar Ramp, Illinois Constitution, JB Pritzker, pensions, progressive income tax

‘Fair tax’ would cost Illinois 56K jobs

By Orphe Divounguy, Bryce Hill

02/26/2020

Progressive income tax would essentially wipe out all 2019 employment gains in Illinois, and then some.

TAGS: fair tax, graduated income tax, JB Pritzker, jobs, labor force participation rate, metro areas, pensions, population, progressive income tax, tax hikes, unemployment

Pritzker’s accounting gimmicks can’t fix pension crisis, but real reform can

By Adam Schuster

02/21/2020

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker previously floated a pension plan that included pawning-off state assets, taking on more high-interest debt and reducing pension funding before walking back the plan amid criticism. Here’s a real solution.

TAGS: bonds, budget, COLA: cost of living adjustment, credit rating, fair tax, Illinois Constitution, Illinois Department of Revenue, JB Pritzker, Moody's Investor Service, pensions, progressive income tax, Standard & Poor's

Pritzker ‘fair tax’ would hit over 4 million Illinoisans with marriage penalty, potentially give wealthy couples a marriage bonus

By Orphe Divounguy, Bryce Hill

02/12/2020

A progressive income tax would force nearly all joint filers in Illinois to pay higher income taxes than they would as single filers. Meanwhile, some wealthy couples would save thousands in state income taxes.

TAGS: JB Pritzker, marriage penalty, progressive income tax

Pritzker claims statewide economic growth, but these Illinois metro areas are shedding jobs

By Bryce Hill

02/10/2020

Despite Gov. J.B. Pritzker touting growth in “every major region,” Illinois shed jobs in three metropolitan areas and lagged the national average in seven more.

TAGS: Bloomington, BLS: Bureau of Labor Statistics, budget, Carbondale, Champaign, Chicago, constitutional amendment, economic competitiveness, economic growth, economics, economy, employment, fair tax, flat tax, government spending, graduated income tax, Great Recession, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, income growth, JB Pritzker, job creation, jobs, labor, Madison County, metro areas, Metro East, Moline, pensions, Peoria, population, progressive income tax, recession, Rockford, spending, spending cap, Springfield, St. Clair County, tax burden, tax hikes, tax increase, unemployment, Urbana, working-age

Slowest-growing states have progressive income taxes

By Bryce Hill

02/07/2020

Fewer people want to live in states with progressive income taxes. So after 6 straight years of population loss, why would Illinois want to join them?

TAGS: ballot, ballot referendums, corporate income tax, fair tax, flat tax, graduated income tax, Great Recession, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, income tax, JB Pritzker, outmigration, pensions, population, progressive income tax, recession, spending cap, Springfield, tax burden, tax hikes, tax increase, Tennessee, Texas, U.S. Census Bureau, West Virginia, working-age

progressive income tax

For Illinois, COVID-19 cuts much deeper than public health

Pension reform is more popular than Pritzker, and other Illinois polling data that may surprise you

Pritzker budget relies on $800M in legally questionable accounting gimmicks

Why the soda tax ‘worked’ and the progressive tax won’t

Illinois’ pension costs, debt are growing far faster than state predicted

‘Fair tax’ would cost Illinois 56K jobs

Pritzker’s accounting gimmicks can’t fix pension crisis, but real reform can

Pritzker ‘fair tax’ would hit over 4 million Illinoisans with marriage penalty, potentially give wealthy couples a marriage bonus

Pritzker claims statewide economic growth, but these Illinois metro areas are shedding jobs

Slowest-growing states have progressive income taxes

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