Alaska

Alaska’s bold solution to its pension crisis

07/25/2013
Illinois has the nation’s worst-funded pensions. Each Illinois household can expect to pay more than $40,000 in additional taxes to cover the pension shortfall if no reforms are passed. The size of the pension crisis demands that state lawmakers pass the boldest reforms in the country. Fortunately, Illinois lawmakers can look to the examples other states have...

Five reasons why the university pension plan won’t solve Illinois’ crisis

By Benjamin VanMetre
07/19/2013
The Institute of Government and Public Affairs, or IGPA, a university-based research organization, recently developed a pension plan for Illinois. That plan was presented at a pension conference committee hearing earlier this month. But it’s not the type of reform Illinois’ needs. The IGPA plan fails to solve Illinois’ pension problem. Here are five reasons...

Chicago’s triple-notch credit downgrade

07/18/2013
Pension costs are already unraveling the state’s finances. Now it’s the city of Chicago’s turn. The city’s out-of-control pension liabilities and “accelerating budget pressures associated with those liabilities” has resulted in another credit downgrade by Moody’s Investors Service. The national credit rating agency downgraded the city’s nearly $8 billion in general obligation bonds to A3...

TAGS: pensions, Rahm Emanuel

The path forward on pension reform: A fair solution for all stakeholders

By Chris Andriesen
06/16/2013
State Reps. Tom Morrison (R-Palatine) and Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) have proposed House Bill 3303, which is based the Institute’s pension reform plan. State Sen. Jim Oberweis (R-Sugar Grove) introduced a floor amendment to Senate Bill 2026, which is identical to House Bill 3303. The problem Illinois has the nation’s worst-funded pension systems. The unfunded liability currently stands at more...

PRESS RELEASE: Illinois Policy Institute opposes Nekritz-Biss pension plan

12/31/2012
PRESS RELEASE from the ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE EXPERTS AVAILABLE IN CHICAGO AND SPRINGFIELD MEDIA CONTACT: Diana Rickert or Daniel Anthony daniel@illinoispolicy.org or (312) 607-4977 Illinois Policy Institute opposes Nekritz-Biss pension plan Yes, pensions must reformed, but the Nekritz-Biss bill would worsen the pension crisis, not fix it SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (Jan. 8, 2013) – Illinois lawmakers...

Even before record 67 percent tax hike, Illinois has 11th-highest tax burden nationwide

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner
10/23/2012
The Tax Foundation has reaffirmed Illinois’ status as a high-tax state in its newly released 2012 Annual State-Local Tax Burden Ranking. Based on the Census Bureau’s 2010 data, the report found that Illinois’ overall tax burden per resident is the 11th highest in the nation. Some highlights from the report include: At 10.2 percent, Illinois has...
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FAQ: How the federal scholarship program would help Illinois students

Illinois students could soon benefit from scholarship money to help them find a tutor, attend ACT or SAT prep sessions, pay tuition, get special education services or assist with other academic needs. That will happen in Illinois only if Gov. J.B. Pritzker lets the state’s schoolchildren benefit from the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program, established...

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Diana Graham

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

By Paul Kersey
06/19/2014

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

By Ted Dabrowski
05/02/2016