Every relationship comes with its sacrifices. But for an alarming number of Illinoisans, parting ways with Illinois is how they choose to get on with their lives.
A legal tactic intended to make it easier for Illinois judges to stay on the bench is under fire. An Illinois House bill aims to close the loophole, which four southwestern Illinois judges used in bids to dilute voters’ power.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker inherited a $2.8 billion budget deficit the moment he stepped into office. Next year, that deficit is projected to be $3.4 billion1. It’s the same story every budget season. But Illinois’ budget crises could be a thing of the past if the state would adopt pension reform, right-size its union contracts and...
A lawmaker would only be allowed to serve in the powerful role of Illinois House speaker for a maximum of eight years under a proposed constitutional amendment recently introduced in the General Assembly.
In the end, redistricting reform could come under the dome in Springfield or by clipboards and signatures on street corners. Either way, those efforts are only helped by the governor holding on to his campaign promise.
Illinois’ fastest-growing jobs sector in 2018 was government – another sign the state needs pro-growth reforms to keep up with the rest of the country.
Reversing the state’s outmigration of residents and encouraging the job creation Illinoisans need to thrive – and the state needs for stable revenues – require lawmakers to rein in government overspending and resist calls for tax hikes that would further depress Illinois’ economic growth.
There’s a lot of talk about renewed bipartisanship and a new day in Springfield. Dozens of state lawmakers have already opted out of the pension system. The General Assembly should take the lead and phase out their own defined-benefit system and get to work on a constitutional fix for the rest of Illinois’ pension mess.
The Land of Lincoln has a new governor, but the state’s deep-seated problems remain. Here are five reforms that newly inaugurated Gov. J.B. Pritzker could pursue to begin setting the state on the right fiscal path.