Illinois

Illinois saw nation’s worst population loss during the decade

By Orphe Divounguy, Bryce Hill
12/30/2019
Illinois suffered its sixth consecutive year of population decline in 2019, driven entirely by residents leaving for other states.

TAGS: 401(k), debt, flat tax, general revenue fund, Great Recession, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, JB Pritzker, job creation, Mike Madigan, outmigration, population, revenue, Springfield, tax burden, tax hikes, tax increase, U.S. Census Bureau, working-age

2019 laws in review, Illinois lawmakers passed both nice and naughty bills

12/20/2019
The Illinois General Assembly passed over 600 new laws in 2019. Some helped taxpayers, but many more hurt as they spent $85 billion while doing little to fix the pension crisis.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, capital plan, consolidation, Cook County, corruption, expungement, free speech, gas tax, government unions, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, JB Pritzker, lawmakers, Luis Arroyo, Martin Sandoval, Open Illinois Checkbook, progressive income tax, record sealing, Springfield, tax hikes, taxes, transparency, vehicle registration

Chicago City Council votes to ban lobbying by elected leaders

12/20/2019
Chicago’s second round of anti-corruption rules restricts aldermen and city employees from working as lobbyists and stops other elected leaders from lobbying city government for private clients.

TAGS: bribery, Chicago, Chicago City Council, ComEd, corruption, FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, John Cullerton, Larry Suffredin, lawmakers, lobbying, Lori Lightfoot, Luis Arroyo, Michael Zalewski, Michele Smith, Mike Madigan, ordinance, Springfield, Terry Link

Will County board approves new $12M gas tax atop doubled state tax

By Vincent Caruso
12/20/2019
Will County became the first county to use new taxing authority under Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s capital plan, adding a new countywide gas tax of 4 cents per gallon atop state and local gas taxes.

TAGS: capital plan, collar counties, DuPage County, excise tax, gas tax, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, JB Pritzker, Joliet, Kane County, Lake County, McHenry County, sales tax, Springfield, tax hikes, tax increase, Will County

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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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Diana Graham

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

By Paul Kersey
06/19/2014

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

By Ted Dabrowski
05/02/2016