Accounting standards call for annual spending reports within 180 days of the year’s end. Illinois took 774 days to produce its 2023 report, setting a national record for tardiness.

Each Illinois taxpayers owes $52,000, thanks to politicians spending more than they already take in. On Nov. 3 taxpayers will be asked for even more.

Decades of institutionalized financial mismanagement left Illinois with the nation’s worst fiscal health. Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan has been at the center of nearly every bad decision along the way.

Illinois politicians have too often ignored the necessity of true pension reform and instead opted for tax hikes.

Illinois’ two major income tax hikes were major failures.

In a single year, Illinoisans witnessed their state’s net worth drop by a staggering 35%, or $47.4 billion, despite shouldering the largest permanent income tax hike in state history.

Persistent budget deficits, enormous and growing pension obligations, a high debt burden and labor contract negotiations all await Lori Lightfoot as she settles into office.

It is time to give taxpayers and businesses the certainty they need to plan a long-term future in the state.

Lawmakers claiming to have passed a balanced budget are relying on a number of common, but deceptive, budget maneuvers.