AFSCME’s actions show union unwilling to negotiate contract taxpayers can afford

By Mailee Smith

04/28/2016

AFSCME’s push for HB 580, which would allow a panel of unelected arbitrators to draft a binding contract between the state and the union, is the latest power play in AFSCME’s long and uncompromising battle for pay hikes and benefits that could cost Illinois taxpayers more than $3 billion.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees

Property-tax freeze bill passes Illinois House

By Hilary Gowins

04/26/2016

House Bill 696 would freeze property taxes across the state. Under the plan, local governments could still increase rates, but only with approval from voters. The bill doesn’t apply to home-rule governments, however. That’s no small exemption: 7.8 million Illinoisans live in a home-rule municipality such Chicago, Naperville or Peoria. This number also doesn’t account for Cook County, which is also home-rule, and would be exempted from this property-tax freeze.

TAGS: property taxes

Local government transparency bill clears Illinois House

04/18/2016

House Bill 5522 would require local governments and school districts in Illinois to maintain websites with links to vital public information such as budgets, expenditures and officials’ names and numbers.

TAGS: corruption, local government, transparency

Will Lisa Madigan shut down Illinois state government?

By Austin Berg

04/14/2016

The Illinois attorney general – House Speaker Mike Madigan’s daughter – could play a major role in whether state lawmakers will pass a budget Illinoisans can afford.

TAGS: Bruce Rauner, budget, Lisa Madigan

Illinois employers report 900 layoffs, including continued losses in manufacturing

04/14/2016

Illinois’ March layoff report shows that almost a quarter of the 900 Illinoisans who will lose their jobs are manufacturing workers.

TAGS: jobs, WARN

Illinois House passes bill to suspend fines for late license-plate renewal

By Amy Korte

04/14/2016

The Illinois House has passed a bill to prohibit charging late fees to vehicle owners who renew their registration late due to the secretary of state’s suspension of mailed reminders.

TAGS: license plate

3 Illinois Policy Action bills advance out of committee before April deadline

By Heather Weiner

04/08/2016

Local government transparency, local government consolidation and criminal justice reform gain traction despite politicized legislature.

TAGS: consolidation

Illinois gets $2.7M windfall as motorists rack up fees for late vehicle registration

By Amy Korte

04/04/2016

Budget gridlock in Springfield caused the Illinois secretary of state’s office to suspend mailing vehicle-registration-renewal reminders in October 2015; as a result, during the first three months of 2016, the state took in $2.7 million more in fees for late license-plate renewal than it did during the same period in 2015.

TAGS: budget, regulations, transportation

Illinois’ gubernatorial veto procedures

By Matt Paprocki

03/24/2016

The governor can exercise the veto power in four different ways: a total veto, an amendatory veto, an item veto and a reduction veto.

Rauner’s proposed bill would give the governor the ability to balance the state’s budget

03/16/2016

In light of the Illinois General Assembly’s refusal to pass a balanced budget, the Unbalanced Budget Response Act is a prudent measure that would temporarily allow the governor to shift funds and reduce spending to balance the state’s budget.

TAGS: Bruce Rauner, budget, Illinois Constitution

Illinois House of Representatives

AFSCME’s actions show union unwilling to negotiate contract taxpayers can afford

Property-tax freeze bill passes Illinois House

Local government transparency bill clears Illinois House

Will Lisa Madigan shut down Illinois state government?

Illinois employers report 900 layoffs, including continued losses in manufacturing

Illinois House passes bill to suspend fines for late license-plate renewal

3 Illinois Policy Action bills advance out of committee before April deadline

Illinois gets $2.7M windfall as motorists rack up fees for late vehicle registration

Illinois’ gubernatorial veto procedures

Rauner’s proposed bill would give the governor the ability to balance the state’s budget

4 ways to break out of Illinois’ pension trap

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