Illinois Senate

Institute stands with legislators to prevent corruption

By Brian Costin
05/02/2012
In the wake of allegations that the city of Dixon’s comptroller stole over $53 million from the city, the Institute is working with Republicans in the Illinois Senate to pass legislation that will prevent this kind of fraud from happening elsewhere. This morning, Brian Costin, the Institute’s Director of Government Reform, stood with State Sens. Dan...

Good News! Three bills pass the Illinois Senate

By Mark Cavers
03/30/2012
Three important bills passed out of the Illinois Senate on Thursday and will now be considered by the House.Ai??My colleague Amanda outlined some bad news coming out of the House, but in the Senate the passage of three bills is good news for people committed to saving Illinois. Each bill would change the structure of...

2011 Illinois General Assembly Legislative Vote Card: Mid Year Report

By Chris Andriesen
10/11/2011
Introduction Policy changes lives. Legislation that lowers the cost of living and doing business in Illinois makes life better across the state. Legislation that gives children better educational opportunities can transform the futures of families and communities. But legislation that increases taxes, drives up public debt or limits economic opportunity can destroy a family’s dream,...

Capital Bill: Here We Go Again

06/06/2011
by Mark Cavers At the tail end of the legislative session the Illinois State Senate added $430 million in operating costs to this year’s capital bill, a move that was opposed by the House, which refused to consider the bill. Today Governor Quinn announced that capital and road construction programs will begin to shutdown as early as...

Because You’re Not Paying Enough In Taxes Already

04/27/2011
by Kristina Rasmussen As Illinois’s service sector grows (accounting for 32 percent of Illinois’s economy in 1977 and 48 percent in 2009), so has the desire to tax it. In 2009, the Illinois Senate tried to expand the state sales tax to a number of services (chimney sweeps, animal shelters, interior design services, and so on),...

An End to Taxpayer-Funded Advertising for Politicians?

04/26/2011
by Brian Costin One of my biggest pet peeves of all times is how some politicians have an insatiable need to put their name on things at the expense of the taxpayers. The open road tolling signs with former Governor Blagojevich’s name and the Richard M. Daley signs at O’Hare Airport come to mind. However, a...

Illinois Senate Passes Medicaid Reform

12/31/2010
Yesterday, the Illinois Senate passed legislation recommended by the Special Committee on Medicaid Reform, and the legislation will be moving to the House.