Illinois’ debt per student is the 11th highest of any state in the nation. It is almost 15 percent higher than the national average of $8,764.

On June 28 the Illinois House of Representatives failed to pass Senate Bill 484, an illusory property tax freeze that did not offer real reform, left Chicago homeowners out in the cold, and would have left in place an opaque and expensive property tax system that benefits special interests over taxpayers.

Gubernatorial hopeful Chris Kennedy is advocating for “a property tax system that can’t be abused by the wealthy and insiders.” But new documents suggest a Kennedy-led company enlisted the help of the city’s most politically connected property tax law firm to lower its bills.

Local state Reps. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, and Daniel Beiser, D-Alton, are still getting paid even though the state still does not have a balanced budget.