Inside Illinois’ 2026 budget: spend now, squeeze more, solve later

By Ravi Mishra, Lauren Zuar

06/06/2025

State lawmakers built Illinois’ record $55.2 billion budget for 2026 on gimmicks, one-time fixes and piecemeal tax hikes. They left pension debt, transit cliffs and real reform for another day.

70 tax, fee hikes in 15 years. $110B from Illinois taxpayers. More coming?

By Lauren Zuar

05/14/2025

Illinois leaders keep using tax hikes as a budget quick-fix, but the state’s fiscal troubles – and the taxpayer burden – persist. Here are the 70 tax and fee hikes state leaders have imposed during the past 15 years.

Editorial: Illinois’ spending plan is divorced from its fiscal reality

By Hilary Gowins

06/03/2024

The state has enormous debts, and state leaders must pay it down or legally restructure obligations. Until they do, the painful reality is we can’t afford new spending.

TAGS: JB Pritzker

Illinois retailers taxed $186M by capping sales tax credit

By Patrick Andriesen

05/30/2024

A cap on the retailers’ sales tax credit will effectively hikes taxes on Illinois retailers by $186 million. Retailers are already facing razor-thin margins, but the record $53.1 billion state budget required $1.1 billion in new taxes.

TAGS: sales tax

Illinois General Assembly OKs $1.1B in tax hikes for record $53.1B spending

By Bryce Hill

05/29/2024

Illinois state lawmakers’ spending plans came in $410 million higher than what Gov. J.B. Pritzker originally proposed. Taxpayers will be forced to pay $1.1 billion more so Illinois can spend record amounts in fiscal year 2025.

TAGS: budget, JB Pritzker, taxes

Illinois lawmakers consider ‘Worker Freedom of Speech Act’ to restrict employers

By Dylan Sharkey

05/17/2024

A new bill in the Illinois General Assembly would ban employers from penalizing employees who do not show up to sponsored meetings. Employers could face $1,000 fines.

Pritzker wants to spend record amount but needs $898M in tax hikes to do it

By Bryce Hill

03/01/2024

Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s record-setting $52.7 billion 2025 spending plan needs massive tax increases. Tax changes will hurt individuals, businesses and local governments.

TAGS: JB Pritzker

3 business groups say voters need to reject Amendment 1 to fix Illinois

By Patrick Andriesen

10/31/2022

The Illinois Manufacturers Association president warned Amendment 1 would tie lawmakers’ hands from pursuing fiscal reform. The Illinois Chamber of Commerce president said it would decrease business investment and the Technology and Manufacturing Association of Illinois is worried about property tax increases.

TAGS: Amendment 1

Caterpillar HQ leaving for Texas, decade after CEO warned Illinois

By Dylan Sharkey

06/15/2022

One of the state’s biggest employers is relocating their headquarters to Irving, Texas. A decade ago Caterpillar’s CEO warned state leaders of business losses unless they balanced the budget, controlled workers’ comp costs and cut taxes. He was ignored.

TAGS: Caterpillar, jobs, outmigration, taxes

Unions flood politicians with cash: How it buys clout in Illinois General Assembly

By Mailee Smith, Jon Josko

12/22/2021

Government unions in Illinois have tremendous power. Most are allowed to go on strike and can bargain over virtually anything.1 It creates an uneven playing field, with unions able to demand costly provisions in their contracts and threaten to strike – denying Illinoisans needed services – to get what they want.2 Until recently, the potential...

Illinois Chamber of Commerce

Inside Illinois’ 2026 budget: spend now, squeeze more, solve later

70 tax, fee hikes in 15 years. $110B from Illinois taxpayers. More coming?

Editorial: Illinois’ spending plan is divorced from its fiscal reality

Illinois retailers taxed $186M by capping sales tax credit

Illinois General Assembly OKs $1.1B in tax hikes for record $53.1B spending

Illinois lawmakers consider ‘Worker Freedom of Speech Act’ to restrict employers

Pritzker wants to spend record amount but needs $898M in tax hikes to do it

3 business groups say voters need to reject Amendment 1 to fix Illinois

Caterpillar HQ leaving for Texas, decade after CEO warned Illinois

Unions flood politicians with cash: How it buys clout in Illinois General Assembly

FAQ: How the federal scholarship program would help Illinois students

Report Archive

Diana Graham

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

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