Illinois General Assembly

Illinois borrowing penalty still three times higher than when Quinn took office

02/06/2014

It didn’t take long for Illinois’ spending machine to cram more debt down taxpayers’ throats. Only two months after signing a pension bill, Gov. Pat Quinn is borrowing yet another $1 billion to fund state construction projects. This will be the first large borrowing for Illinois since it passed Senate Bill 1, a pension fix...

TAGS: borrowing, capital project, debt, Pat Quinn, penalty borrowing rate, pensions

Google Glass app for government waste

By Justin Hegy

02/06/2014

While the Illinois General Assembly debates outlawing the use of Google Glass while driving, others are creating innovative apps to fight government waste and corruption using Google’s groundbreaking new technology. Have you ever walked down the street, stared at a government building and wondered how much it costs to operate? Imagine eyeing the elegant copper...

TAGS: google glass

Quinn’s State of the State offers no blueprints for turning around Illinois

By Donovan Griffith

02/01/2014

On Wednesday, Gov. Pat Quinn gave his State of the State speech to the Illinois General Assembly and touted what he called a “five-year blueprint” to create more jobs, deliver stronger education and build an economy that works for everyone. With such a lofty promise, one would believe the five-year blueprint was full of landmark...

TAGS: State of the State

Madigan’s Illinois pension fix: $15B less in savings, more gimmicks

01/28/2014

Not unlike ObamaCare, a bill Congress had to pass “to find out what’s in it,” Illinois’ General Assembly passed a pension fix in December 2013 without an official scoring of the bill. During floor debates, House Leader Mike Madigan and proponents of Senate Bill 1 promised $160 billion in savings over 30 years. Many opponents...

TAGS: pensions, Senate Bill 1

Gov. Quinn’s past State of the State addresses vs. reality

By Donovan Griffith

01/28/2014

This Wednesday, Gov. Pat Quinn will take the pulpit in front of the Illinois General Assembly and give his annual State of the State address. The speech, which is given annually by the standing governor, is an opportunity for the governor to give his view on the condition of the state, and how they envision...

TAGS: Pat Quinn, State of the State

Taxpayers to foot big bill for pointless legislator pay stunt

01/13/2014

In July, Gov. Pat Quinn used his line-item veto power to suspend Illinois legislators’ salaries, pledging to withhold their paychecks until they solved the state’s pension crisis. This predictably provoked a lawsuit by House Speaker Mike Madigan, Senate President John Cullerton and other legislators. A Cook County Circuit Court judge then ruled in September that...

TAGS: lawmaker pay, Pat Quinn

Pension ‘fix’ has many problems, but the Pension Clause isn’t one

01/13/2014

In December 2013, Gov. Pat Quinn signed a pension “reform” bill with many serious flaws. For example, it: barely makes a dent in the state’s unfunded pension liability; guarantees pension funding at the expense of taxpayers and all other government services; creates a fake 401(k) plan; doesn’t means test cost-of-living adjustments, or COLAs; still allows state workers to retire much earlier...

TAGS: pension guarantee, pensions

Illinois Policy Institute’s government affairs team makes big strides in 2013

By Jane McEnaney

12/29/2013

The Illinois Policy Institute’s overarching goal is to transform liberty principles into marketable policies that become law. Naturally, the ultimate sign of success is when free market ideas are turned into laws that change lives for the better. There’s a long way to go before our vision is fully realized, but this year, our government...

Fighting the progressive tax in Illinois

By Benjamin VanMetre

12/27/2013

Fighting the progressive tax in Illinois The battle to raise taxes again is underway in Illinois. Politicians and special interest groups across the state have put a plan in motion to implement yet another income tax hike in Illinois – one that targets the state’s working- and middle-class residents. Politicians already pushed through a record...

TAGS: fair tax, flat tax, income tax, progressive income tax

Illinois government sits on $9 billion in I-owe-yous for Christmas

By Benjamin VanMetre

12/23/2013

Lawmakers failed to keep their promise to pay down the state’s bills despite the fact that they are still raking in billions in new money from the 2011 tax hike. In fact, Illinois’ unpaid bills are slated to reach $9 billion during the Christmas season this year. When the Illinois General Assembly passed a record...

TAGS: debt, income tax, progressive income tax, unpaid bills

FAQ: How the federal scholarship program would help Illinois students

Illinois students could soon benefit from scholarship money to help them find a tutor, attend ACT or SAT prep sessions, pay tuition, get special education services or assist with other academic needs. That will happen in Illinois only if Gov. J.B. Pritzker lets the state’s schoolchildren benefit from the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program, established...

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