6 reforms to end Illinois’ perpetual budget crisis

By Donna Arduin

04/15/2016

Illinois needs a combination of constitutional and statutory changes to put and keep the state on sound fiscal footing and allow it to pay its providers and better prepare for emergencies.

TAGS: budget

Unemployment 101: How to understand an Illinois jobs report

By Michael Lucci

04/15/2016

Monthly reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Illinois Department of Employment Security allow the public to see Illinois’ record for job creation and unemployment. Understanding the components of the reports, what they measure, and the significance of the data are key to assessing the state’s economic health.

TAGS: BLS: Bureau of Labor Statistics, IDES: Illinois Department of Employment Security, jobs, unemployment

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

Preliminary jobs report: Illinois gains 14,700 jobs in March

By Hilary Gowins

04/14/2016

Illinois gained 14,700 jobs on net in March, according to a preliminary jobs report released by the Illinois Department of Employment Security, or IDES. March’s numbers mark three consecutive months of jobs growth in a state that had grown all too accustomed to job losses. More and more Illinoisans are looking for work – and...

TAGS: IDES: Illinois Department of Employment Security, jobs, unemployment

Illinois will soon overtake New Jersey as the state with the highest property taxes

By Austin Berg

04/14/2016

Illinois' 859 local school districts consume nearly two-thirds of the $27 billion in local property taxes collected across the state each year.

TAGS: consolidation, property taxes

Record sealing for Illinois ex-offenders offers a better shot at employment, second chance

By Bryant Jackson-Green

04/14/2016

An effective record-sealing policy can help nonviolent offenders find employment and stay away from crime.

TAGS: record sealing

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

Adult Redeploy has saved Illinois nearly $70 million in avoided prison spending

By Bryant Jackson-Green

04/14/2016

By investing in community-based programs that treat nonviolent offenders’ drug and mental health problems, Illinois can avoid more costly expenditures on incarceration.

TAGS: adult redeploy, criminal justice reform

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

Branded with a number on my name

By Scott Reeder

04/13/2016

When they let me out of prison, I held my head up high. Determined I would rise above the shame. But no matter where I’m living, the black mark follows me. I’m branded with a number on my name. —Merle Haggard

TAGS: criminal justice reform, reentry

Illinois

6 reforms to end Illinois’ perpetual budget crisis

Unemployment 101: How to understand an Illinois jobs report

Will Lisa Madigan shut down Illinois state government?

Preliminary jobs report: Illinois gains 14,700 jobs in March

Illinois will soon overtake New Jersey as the state with the highest property taxes

Record sealing for Illinois ex-offenders offers a better shot at employment, second chance

Illinois employers report 900 layoffs, including continued losses in manufacturing

Adult Redeploy has saved Illinois nearly $70 million in avoided prison spending

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

Branded with a number on my name

Pathway to a Profession: How Apprenticeships Could Reshape Illinois’ Beauty Service Industry

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