Capitol Fax

‘Fair tax’ backer pleads guilty to tax fraud

By Vincent Caruso
01/28/2020
Former state Sen. Martin Sandoval once headed the powerful Senate Transportation Committee. He now faces up to 13 years in prison on corruption charges involving a controversial red-light camera company.

TAGS: bribery, Chicago, conflict of interest, corruption, Ed Burke, embezzlement, ethics, fair maps, fair tax, FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation, federal investigation, fraud, graduated income tax, house rules, IDOT: Illinois Department of Transportation, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, IRS: Internal Revenue Service, JB Pritzker, Luis Arroyo, Martin Sandoval, pork barrel spending, progressive income tax, red light cameras, redistricting, revolving door, Springfield, tax fraud, Tom Cullerton

Architect of Illinois gas tax hike resigns committee chairmanship amid federal probe

By Vincent Caruso
10/11/2019
State Sen. Martin Sandoval has resigned as chairman of the powerful Illinois Senate Transportation Committee, weeks after federal authorities raided Sandoval’s home and offices as part of an ongoing corruption probe.

TAGS: capital bill, FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation, gas tax, JB Pritzker, John Cullerton, Lyons, Martin Sandoval, McCook, Mike Madigan, red light cameras, SafeSpeed

Pritzker capital plan would double Illinois gas tax, hike vehicle registration fees, create new taxes on Uber and Netflix

By Austin Berg
05/17/2019
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office is using a major capital bill as a vehicle to grease lawmakers for a progressive income tax amendment. But the tax hikes to pay for it would make Illinoisans’ gas tax burden the second highest in the nation.

TAGS: alcohol tax, amusement tax, capital project, fair tax, gas tax, graduated income tax, income tax, JB Pritzker, Lyft, Netflix, progressive income tax, rideshare, satellite tax, streaming tax, Uber, vehicle registration

Load More

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...

View Report

Report Archive

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