Despite business, lawmaker suits, Pritzker grants himself emergency powers for 4th time

By Joe Tabor

06/09/2020

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker for the fourth time extended by 30 days his emergency powers to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses and lawmakers are amending lawsuits in response.

TAGS: coronavirus, COVID-19, emergency, executive order

62 former state lawmakers receiving more than $100K pensions

06/05/2020

Illinois’ broken pension system puts $100,000 a year or more into the hands of 62 former state lawmakers. It has paid more than $1 million to 94 of them.

TAGS: Arthur L. Berman, Barbara Flynn Currie, GARS: General Assembly Retirement System, Jim Edgar, lawmaker pay, Lou Lang, Pat Quinn, pensions

5 reasons why Illinois’ latest spending plan insults taxpayers

By Adam Schuster

05/29/2020

Lawmakers made no serious attempt to balance the new budget, instead counting on a federal bailout. They accepted an $1,800 raise for themselves, while only making significant cuts to education.

TAGS: budget, government spending, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, special session

Unemployment mess leads lawmaker to push for Pritzker’s recall

05/27/2020

Citing the lack of action on the state unemployment claims system overwhelmed during the COVID-19 pandemic, a state lawmaker begins the process to remove Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker from office.

TAGS: coronavirus, COVID-19, IDES: Illinois Department of Employment Security, JB Pritzker

State legal memo: Illinois governor needs lawmakers’ approval before extending emergency powers

By Joe Tabor

05/18/2020

Amid a recent series of lawsuits, the 2001 informal opinion by the Illinois Attorney General’s office concludes the emergency powers granted a governor during a disaster cannot be extended beyond 30 days without legislative approval.

TAGS: coronavirus, COVID-19, emergency, executive order

Pritzker wrongly claims an Illinois budget surplus ‘if not for coronavirus’

By Adam Schuster

04/30/2020

The budget was not balanced, and Illinois has not balanced a budget for nearly two decades. Pretending Illinois had no issues before COVID-19 won’t help it recover.

TAGS: budget, coronavirus, COVID-19, deficit, Donald Trump, JB Pritzker

‘Fair tax’ paves the way to taxing retirement income in Illinois

By Adam Schuster

04/15/2020

By granting broad new taxing authority to Springfield, the progressive income tax amendment makes a retirement income tax much more likely – a fact some supporters have acknowledged publicly.

TAGS: fair tax, outmigration, progressive income tax, retirement tax

Illinois state, local tax burden ranked highest in nation

By Brad Weisenstein

04/14/2020

Illinois residents pay more of their income toward state and local taxes than any other state’s residents. A progressive income tax proposal on the ballot in November would raise the state’s total tax burden by $3.7 billion.

TAGS: outmigration, progressive income tax, tax burden

Why Illinois lawmakers can and should withdraw the progressive income tax hike

By Bryce Hill

04/09/2020

State lawmakers in 2019 passed a progressive income tax amendment at the behest of Gov. J.B. Pritzker. Now that coronavirus has ravaged the state’s small business community, they should withdraw the amendment.

TAGS: corporate income tax, Don Harmon, fair tax, graduated income tax, Illinois Constitution, progressive income tax, small business

To fight COVID-19 economic harm, Illinois must delay or cancel taxes and fees where possible

By Adam Schuster

04/02/2020

Struggling businesses, individuals and families need relief while the economy is shut down. Despite Illinois’ financial woes, leaders can help the recovery by lifting government-imposed financial burdens.

TAGS: coronavirus, COVID-19, emergency, executive order, fees, JB Pritzker, progressive income tax, property taxes

Constitution of Illinois

Despite business, lawmaker suits, Pritzker grants himself emergency powers for 4th time

62 former state lawmakers receiving more than $100K pensions

5 reasons why Illinois’ latest spending plan insults taxpayers

Unemployment mess leads lawmaker to push for Pritzker’s recall

State legal memo: Illinois governor needs lawmakers’ approval before extending emergency powers

Pritzker wrongly claims an Illinois budget surplus ‘if not for coronavirus’

‘Fair tax’ paves the way to taxing retirement income in Illinois

Illinois state, local tax burden ranked highest in nation

Why Illinois lawmakers can and should withdraw the progressive income tax hike

To fight COVID-19 economic harm, Illinois must delay or cancel taxes and fees where possible

Fighting poverty with employment: Chicago block clubs

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