Illinois’ broken budget process allocated taxpayer dollars to an art group best known for its floating exhibit on the Chicago River.

Chicago-area transit riders deserve safe, reliable service. But the Regional Transportation Authority board might soon ask the wrong people to pay for it.

The transit rescue plan freezes fares, raises tolls, hikes sales taxes and diverts road funds – adding to taxpayers’ burdens.

Illinois lawmakers passed a new plan to keep Chicago-area public transit running. The plan hikes sales taxes in the Chicago area but stops major service cuts for the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra, and Pace.

State lawmakers are rushing a first-in-the-world wealth tax on billionaires. They also want taxes on streaming services such as Netflix and Spotify and steep surcharges on concerts and ticketed events.

Lawmakers may approve a statewide delivery tax on Doordash and Uber Eats to fund Chicago transit, hitting all Illinoisans who shop online, even those who don’t use CTA, Metra or Pace.

The Chicago Transit Authority’s 2026 budget includes scenarios dependent on state funding along with a 25-cent fare hike on bus and rail.

Prices for DoorDash, Uber, Ticketmaster and Illinois tolls might go up now to cover $1.5 billion for Illinois transit agencies. A real estate transfer tax for homes in the Chicago suburbs is also on the table.