Illinois companies announced 1,477 mass layoffs during May. The highest concentration of cuts impacted Champaign after one of the state’s largest health insurers, Health Alliance, announced it would end coverage and halt operations.
Champaign County has spent over $60,000 on a promotional campaign for a local sales tax hike using taxpayer funds. It might surpass $100,000 by Election Day.
Out of 90 Midwestern metropolitan areas, Illinois has four in the bottom 10 for new housing per capita in 2023. Housing affordability is directly linked to getting units built.
A proposed 1 percent sales tax for school facilities improvements would bring the city of Springfield’s combined sales tax rate to 9.75 percent – among the highest in the nation.
Illinois’ tax code stands in the way of the state’s economic competitiveness. The combination of high tax burdens and a poor tax structure contributes to the loss of jobs and investment to other states. From a place of former economic dominance, Illinois now ranks 45th in gross state product (GSP) growth over the past decade...