Voters in Leyden Township will be sounding off April 1 on state mandates made without state funding being provided. Unfunded mandates force local governments to raise taxes to comply with new rules.

Jackpot justice in Illinois recently drew the ire of two national groups. Cook County was labeled a leading “judicial hellhole.” Lawsuit abuse imposes a $4,281 cost on each Illinois household. State lawmakers, trial lawyers and plaintiff-friendly courts are to blame.

Chicago’s O’Hare Airport is one of the toughest for waiting in long lines, according to a study of the nation’s biggest airports. Motorists dealing with Illinois’ second-highest gas taxes won’t fare much better hitting the road.