The cost of bad behavior: Illinois penalty borrowing rate

By John Klingner

03/31/2013

The price of Illinois bad behavior continues to go up.

The Stockton crystal ball: what a pension guarantee will do to Illinois

03/31/2013

With nearly 300,000 residents, Stockton is the largest city in the United States to declare bankruptcy. It is also one of several California cities to file for bankruptcy due to the recession and skyrocketing government worker pension costs.

TAGS: pension guarantee, pensions

Business tax credit offers more options for school choice

03/12/2013

A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog post about how Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, introduced a bill that would give tax credits to corporations if they donate to nonprofit organizations that provide scholarships to students in low-income families for private school tuition. Now, state Rep. Michael Connelly, R-Wheaton, has introduced a parallel bill in the Illinois General Assembly....

Budget Solutions 2014: Pension reform and responsible spending for state and local governments

By Benjamin VanMetre, Jonathan Ingram

02/27/2013

Illinois is in crisis. According to official government numbers, Illinois has an unfunded pension liability of $96 billion – the worst in the nation. This heavy debt burden, combined with the state’s culture of out-of-control, wasteful spending, has driven the state into an economic death spiral. Illinois cannot be economically prosperous until real pension reform...

TAGS: Medicaid, pensions

Tapped out Illinois makes plans to spend $1.56 billion on new projects in 2013

By Hilary Gowins

01/31/2013

If you owed more than $30,000 on your credit cards and were strapped for cash, would you spend $1,500 on a new home entertainment system?

TAGS: waste

The real “State of the State”

By Chris Andriesen

01/31/2013

Facts you won't hear during Gov. Quinn's State of the State 2013 address

TAGS: State of the State

Fitch warnings don’t mean kick the can down the road

01/11/2013

Illinois’ credit rating received a warning today from Fitch Ratings. What Fitch cited as the “ongoing inability of the state to address its large and growing unfunded pension liability” means a rating downgrade is likely unless reforms are passed within six months. That warning is just another whack for a state that already has been downgraded...

Early warning system to thank for keeping 2011 tax increase from becoming permanent

By Matt Paprocki

01/10/2013

During a lame duck session two years ago, the Illinois General Assembly passed a 67 percent income tax increase on all Illinois families. When the bill was filed in early 2011, almost no one knew of its existence. I was the House staffer on revenue at the time, and I only heard about it at 6...

Early warning system to thank for keeping 2011 tax increase from becoming permanent

By Matt Paprocki

01/10/2013

During a lame duck session two years ago, the Illinois General Assembly passed a 67 percent income tax increase on all Illinois families. When the bill was filed in early 2011, almost no one knew of its existence.

Illinois General Assembly

The cost of bad behavior: Illinois penalty borrowing rate

The Stockton crystal ball: what a pension guarantee will do to Illinois

Business tax credit offers more options for school choice

Budget Solutions 2014: Pension reform and responsible spending for state and local governments

Tapped out Illinois makes plans to spend $1.56 billion on new projects in 2013

The real “State of the State”

Despite benefit cuts, number of students pursuing education continues to grow

Fitch warnings don’t mean kick the can down the road

Early warning system to thank for keeping 2011 tax increase from becoming permanent

Early warning system to thank for keeping 2011 tax increase from becoming permanent

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