As a looming U.S. Supreme Court decision could lift a federal ban on sports betting, state lawmakers hear testimony on whether Illinois should follow suit.
In October, we found 52 different stories of potential public corruption in Illinois, including a trio of stories related to the election. An Illinois Policy investigation into emails from a group of Kankakee County superintendents revealed potentially illegal activities to pass a countywide sales-tax hike for school facilities. Documents obtained suggest illegal actions by superintendents...
The problem Skyrocketing retirement costs for Illinois’ state and local government workers are wreaking havoc on governments’ ability to provide core services such as public safety, education and infrastructure. States and cities across the nation continue to struggle with massive pension and health-care costs, which force residents to pay higher taxes and fees to receive...
Fireworks are a staple in America’s celebration of its Independence Day. But good luck buying any in Illinois. For yet another year, the Land of Lincoln is one of only eight states in the country that doesn’t allow the purchase of consumer fireworks. Illinois’ Pyrotechnic Use Act bans the sale, possession and use of those...
Illinois’ residents and businesses pay some of the nation’s highest taxes. Illinois has the ninth-highest state and local tax burden per capita, the second-highest property tax burden as a percentage of median home value and the fifth-highest gasoline tax. A recent Tax Foundation study shows that Illinoisans also pay the nation’s 11th-highest combined state and local sales tax rates. The report...
by Amanda Griffin-Johnson This time of year, children go door-to-door dressed in costumes to ask their neighbors for treats. Throughout the year, governments at the federal, state and local level provide services and programs that many look upon as treats. But considering the cost and inefficiency of some of these programs and services, are these...
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.