Cook County

Online affiliate tax: Struck down

By Chris Andriesen
04/26/2012
by Peter White, Liberty Justice Center Yesterday morning I sat in the Daley Center and listened as Cook County Circuit Judge Robert Lopez Cepero struck down Illinois’ internet affiliate tax law and, in so doing, handed victory to thousands of internet entrepreneurs across the state. While the outcome of the case will rest ultimately with...

A Victory for Liberty: Judge strikes down Illinois online affiliate marketing tax

By Lawrence McQuillan
04/25/2012
This morning, Cook County Circuit Judge Robert Lopez Cepero struck down the online affiliate tax (Public Act 096-1544). The law required out-of-state online retailers such as Amazon.com to collect and remit sales taxes on purchases made by Illinois residents if the online retailer maintained a physical presence in Illinois. The law was signed by Gov....

Cigarette taxes can’t fix Medicaid

By Jonathan Ingram
04/16/2012
It looks like Gov. Quinn may be pinning his hopes of finding Medicaid savings by raising cigarette taxes. This isn’t the first time Gov. Quinn has floated his $1-per-pack tax hike on cigarettes. So I was glad to see that Sen. Dale Righter and Rep. Patti Bellock, members of the Medicaid reform working group, have voiced their opposition to...

Hanover Township earns A in government transparency audit

By Brian Costin
04/05/2012
With a score of 96.5 percent, the Hanover Township is the first township-level government entity in the state to earn an “A” grade in the Illinois Policy Institute’s Local Transparency Project. The Local Transparency Project grades governments on the availability to the public of vital community information, such as public meeting schedules, government employee salaries and...

What are you paying for at the pump?

04/03/2012
As Illinois motorists shell out more and more for the rising cost of gas, many people want to know: what am I paying for? In Illinois, especially in Chicago and Cook County, drivers may be surprised to find out that they’re paying significantly more in taxes on gas than drivers do in other states. At...

Illinoisans reject tax hikes when given the chance

By Mark Cavers
03/21/2012
On Tuesday, voters across Illinois rejected local ballot initiatives to increase their taxes. When given the choice, voters in the majority of cases told government to tighten its belt instead of increasing their taxes. Here are a few highlights: Nombre generico zyloprim In Morgan and Washington counties, voters rejected 1 percent sales tax increases. In...

Sunshine week reveals lack of election information on Illinois websites

By Chris Andriesen
03/16/2012
The week of March 11-17 is the annual “Sunshine Week” where good government groups across the country work “to promote a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information.” The Illinois Policy Institute supports Sunshine Week and works year round on promoting government transparency and accountability on the state and local levels. With...

Due process denied: Illinois’ new scheme to take your tax refund

By Chris Andriesen
02/23/2012
by Peter White, Liberty Justice Center Residents of Illinois are dying a death by a thousand cuts. Municipalities are finding ever more creative ways to raise revenue: fees, fines and taxes. The trouble for some localities such as the City of Chicago is collection. Now, however, they’ve found something new: the City is going to...

Elgin city tax hike

By Chris Andriesen
12/21/2011
The Elgin City Council plans to vote tonight on a new budget that increases taxes and adds new fees. The Council has chosen to pursue new revenue sources to fill a $4.5 million deficit, rather than run a more efficient government. This strategy of higher taxes only compounds the problems that average Illinoisans and residents of Elgin...
Load More

Chicago Forward 2026: A pro-growth plan to end city budget deficits

Chicago’s $1.15 billion projected budget gap is the latest in a decades-long string of structural deficits. Making Chicago’s high taxes worse is not the solution.

View Report

Report Archive

Diana Graham

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

By Paul Kersey
06/19/2014

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students

By Ted Dabrowski
05/02/2016