Jury awards record $44.7M in Chicago police misconduct case

By Brendan Bakala

10/30/2017

This latest amount broke the previous city payout record of $25 million for a wrongful conviction suit in 2012.

TAGS: CPD: Chicago Police Department, criminal justice reform, police misconduct

Opioid crisis: Kentucky’s reforms, Illinois’ problems and overprescription in workers’ comp

By Amy Korte

10/16/2017

As opioid abuse ravages Illinois, lawmakers must take action to root out overprescription in the state’s workers’ compensation system.

TAGS: criminal justice reform, Kentucky, opioid, workers compensation

Illinois’ next tax hike could mean pain at the pump

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

09/29/2017

A proposed increase in gas taxes to pay for state infrastructure spending would impose another burden on overtaxed Illinoisans.

TAGS: gas tax, taxes

Metro area unemployment: Which states are in reverse? Spotlight Illinois

07/13/2017

The U.S. unemployment rate is 4.4 percent, but unemployment varies widely among the nation’s 388 metro areas.

TAGS: jobs, unemployment

Illinois income tax hike to 5% opens door for a progressive tax hike

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

05/29/2017

An income tax hike to 5 percent makes a call for a progressive tax system during the 2018 gubernatorial race a much easier sell.

TAGS: budget, graduated income tax, income tax, progressive income tax, taxes

Fact-checking BGA’s claims on ‘low-spending’ Illinois

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

05/23/2017

While the Better Government Association has claimed Illinois’ budget contains no fat to trim, a deeper analysis reveals the state has many areas of expensive inefficiency to reform in state and local government costs, the Medicaid program and K-12 education.

TAGS: BGA: Better Government Association, budget, education, local government, Medicaid, municipal government, state worker pay, taxes

7 Illinois properties rank among nation’s top 100 property tax bills

By Brendan Bakala

05/23/2017

Though most of the top 100 property tax bills came from New York, the state with the second most entries was Illinois. The 13th highest bill in the country belonged to Exelon’s nuclear generating station in Byron, Illinois, totaling $36.5 million in 2016.

TAGS: property taxes

Illinois’ youth problem: More millennials left Illinois than any other age demographic from 2011 through 2014

By Madelyn Harwood

05/17/2017

By fixing cost drivers, decreasing the cost of doing business in Illinois, and easing the tax burden, Illinois can encourage jobs growth and stand a better chance at attracting and retaining younger people.

How Trump’s tax proposals would affect Illinois

By Michael Lucci

05/01/2017

The corporate tax reforms under President Donald Trump’s proposed tax plan could strengthen Illinois’ position as a home for businesses, but the state’s uncompetitive income, property and death tax policies would put its residents at an even greater disadvantage with respect to other states if the president’s plan passes.

TAGS: Chicago, corporate income tax, death tax, Donald Trump, estate tax, income tax, outmigration, population, property taxes, tax credits, taxes

Illinois House passes bill to allow residents to dissolve townships

By Brendan Bakala

03/30/2017

On March 29, the Illinois House of Representatives voted almost unanimously in favor of allowing voters to decide on local government consolidation – a crucial component of shrinking local government spending, which drives up property taxes. State Rep. Tom Demmer, R-Dixon, sponsored House Bill 496, which received bipartisan support – more than a dozen representatives...

TAGS: local government consolidation, townships

California

Jury awards record $44.7M in Chicago police misconduct case

Opioid crisis: Kentucky’s reforms, Illinois’ problems and overprescription in workers’ comp

Illinois’ next tax hike could mean pain at the pump

Metro area unemployment: Which states are in reverse? Spotlight Illinois

Illinois income tax hike to 5% opens door for a progressive tax hike

Fact-checking BGA’s claims on ‘low-spending’ Illinois

7 Illinois properties rank among nation’s top 100 property tax bills

Illinois’ youth problem: More millennials left Illinois than any other age demographic from 2011 through 2014

How Trump’s tax proposals would affect Illinois

Illinois House passes bill to allow residents to dissolve townships

Solutions for vacant lots would reduce crime and poverty in Chicago

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