Amendment 1 has many more negatives than voters will ever realize, but one of those is a $2,100 property tax hike. Illinoisans should vote on all taxing and spending hikes, not just those presented to them as vague constitutional amendments.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s newest campaign ad credits him with fixing state finances and boasts of Illinois’ job growth. Both are among the worst in the nation.

A new report shows Illinois is likely to face financial challenges when the federal stimulus money propping up its current budget runs out. That reality is very different than the Pritzker campaign claims about fiscal responsibility.

Illinois has 6,032 local governments, the most in the nation by a wide margin – and that excludes 859 school districts. It’s the main reason Illinoisans pay the nation’s second-highest property taxes.

While Illinois settles for Pritzker’s temporary relief that mostly expires after the November election, its neighbor states are making long-term changes to help grow their economies.