Landmark state report lights path toward lowering Illinois property taxes

By Austin Berg

01/05/2016

Absurdly high property taxes demand bold reforms from Illinois lawmakers. New recommendations from a state task force show exactly what kind.

TAGS: local government, property taxes, taxes

Illinoisans pay 2.5 times for their politicians

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

01/04/2016

Taxpayers pay once for state politicians’ salaries and another 1.5 times for their bankrupt pension system. In 2017, taxpayers will contribute the equivalent of nearly $123,000 for each lawmaker just to keep the General Assembly Retirement System afloat.

TAGS: lawmaker pay, pensions

2011 workers’ compensation reform

By Mark Adams

01/02/2016

Part 3 of Illinois’ broken workers’ compensation system: the major components of the 2011 reform

TAGS: workers compensation

Chicago’s sales tax now highest in the nation

By Hilary Gowins

01/01/2016

The sales-tax hike Cook County officials approved in July takes effect Jan. 1, 2016, just in time for end-of-season holiday shopping deals.

TAGS: Chicago, sales tax, taxes

Heavy metals: Behind the fall of Illinois industry

By Austin Berg

01/01/2016

3 important criminal-justice reforms from 2015

By Bryant Jackson-Green

12/31/2015

In 2015, Gov. Bruce Rauner signed into law bills restricting the transfer of juvenile offenders to adult court, establishing rules for the use of body cameras by police, and creating an expedited process in Cook County to resolve cases involving certain low-level offenses.

TAGS: juvenile court, police body cameras

Illinois’ 2005 workers’ compensation reform law

By Michael Lucci

12/30/2015

Part 2 of Illinois’ broken workers’ compensation system: the reform law signed by Gov. Rod Blagojevich in 2005, which addressed medical fees and billing, provided benefit increases, and contained anti-fraud provisions.

TAGS: workers compensation

Why we fight: The faces of Illinois Policy 2015

By Austin Berg

12/30/2015

Changing hearts and minds starts with telling the stories that Illinois’ political machine has forgotten.

How the Liberty Justice Center fought for freedom in 2015

12/29/2015

From challenging the forced unionization of home caregivers and day care providers to suing to stop Chicago from collecting a “Netflix tax,” the Liberty Justice Center has fought for its clients’ constitutional rights and against illegal taxation.

Déjà vu: Illinois faces $8.5 billion in unpaid bills and calls for a tax hike

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

12/27/2015

The 2011 income-tax hike was supposed to address the state’s unpaid bills and ailing government-worker pensions; but five years and $31 billion in additional revenues later, Illinois’ unpaid bills are back up to 2011 levels, and the state’s government-worker pension debt has soared to $111 billion.

TAGS: unpaid bills

Illinois

Landmark state report lights path toward lowering Illinois property taxes

Illinoisans pay 2.5 times for their politicians

2011 workers’ compensation reform

Chicago’s sales tax now highest in the nation

Heavy metals: Behind the fall of Illinois industry

3 important criminal-justice reforms from 2015

Illinois’ 2005 workers’ compensation reform law

Why we fight: The faces of Illinois Policy 2015

How the Liberty Justice Center fought for freedom in 2015

Déjà vu: Illinois faces $8.5 billion in unpaid bills and calls for a tax hike

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