Illinois

Illinois’ median wage has collapsed by $12,000 since 1999

By Michael Lucci

09/02/2014

Illinois has long been known as a high-income state, but that‘s changed for many families in the middle. After decades of policy mistakes, the backbone of the state – Illinois’ middle class – has been hollowed out. Throughout Illinois’ history, innovation and high employment led to high incomes, making the Land of Lincoln a wealthy...

TAGS: jobs, median wage

By 2029, Illinois will spend more on pensions than education

By Benjamin VanMetre

09/02/2014

Hardworking Illinois families and entrepreneurs are just four months away from tax relief. The state’s personal income tax rate is slated to drop to 3.75 percent from 5 percent in January 2015. But a number of lawmakers and special-interest groups don’t want to let that happen. Tax-hike advocates across the state argue that Illinois needs...

TAGS: budget, Chicago, income tax, pensions

It’s now a Class 4 felony to hide public records in Illinois

By Brian Costin

08/30/2014

It’s not all bad news in Illinois. Sometimes our politicians get it right. Illinois lawmakers have made it a Class 4 felony to intentionally hide public records from the public. House Bill 4216, introduced by state Rep. Anthony DeLuca, D-Chicago Heights, was passed unanimously by both the Illinois House and Senate. It was signed into...

TAGS: felony, prison, public records, transparency

Citizens auditing committees could yield big savings for taxpayers

By Brian Costin

08/30/2014

With improved state transparency laws and communities all over Illinois voluntarily becoming more transparent online, there’s never been a better time for citizens to get involved and hold local government accountable. But simply advocating for transparent government isn’t enough to identify waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars. Ultimately, government watchdogs must make use of...

TAGS: audit, good government, transparency, waste

Too fast too spurious: Quinn vetoes speed limit increase

By Austin Berg

08/29/2014

When it comes to Illinoisans and their cars, Gov. Pat Quinn can’t seem to make up his mind. This time last year, Quinn signed legislation upping the speed limit on rural interstates to 70 mph from 65 mph. He cited a fear that if Illinois didn’t keep up with higher speed limits in other states,...

TAGS: Pat Quinn, speed limit

Judge rules state workers don’t have to pay for retiree health coverage

By Naomi Lopez Bauman

08/29/2014

An Illinois 7th Circuit judge has ruled that the state cannot make deductions from state retirees’ pension checks for their retiree health insurance coverage. Based on this temporary injunction, state retirees no longer have to pay 1- 2 percent of their pension check for their retirement health-insurance coverage. Judge Steven Nardulli of the state’s 7th...

TAGS: health care, pensions, state worker pay

Harris v. Quinn freed workers from paying for union political agenda

By Paul Kersey

08/28/2014

The Illinois Policy Institute’s recent report on union spending focused on Illinois’ big, statewide public-sector unions, but there are lots of important locals that are misusing their members’ funds as well. One of the most interesting is Healthcare IL-IN, a Service Employees International Union, or SEIU, local that played a controversial role in organizing day-care...

TAGS: Chicago, Harris v Quinn, labor, SEIU: Service Employees International Union, unions

Baxter denies claims it will relocate from Illinois to Boston

By Hilary Gowins

08/27/2014

Though Baxter International Inc. has denied reports that it is considering relocating to Boston, Illinois officials are in damage-control mode to ensure that the Deerfield, Ill.-based company stays put. On Aug. 27, the Boston Business Journal reported that Baxter, a biotech giant that has been based in Illinois since the 1930s, is looking to make a...

TAGS: Baxter, Chicago, jobs

Illinois metro areas lag behind most others in the nation on jobs recovery

By Michael Lucci

08/27/2014

The unemployment rate fell in all of Illinois’ metropolitan statistical areas in July, according to a press release from the Illinois Department of Employment Security. In fact, unemployment rates have fallen in all metro areas for four consecutive months, which seems like welcome news. But these numbers are only encouraging at face value. As is...

TAGS: jobs, unemployment

Evidence of job losses due to ObamaCare continues to grow

By Naomi Lopez Bauman

08/26/2014

For months, data suggesting that the Affordable Care Act, or ACA, is hurting employment have been dismissed by the White House as anecdotal. But a recent survey of businesses conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia seems to provide undeniable proof that the law is forcing businesses to fire employees and cut health benefits....

Taxed out: 10 reforms to stop Illinois from losing people and jobs

Illinois’ tax code stands in the way of the state’s economic competitiveness. The combination of high tax burdens and a poor tax structure contributes to the loss of jobs and investment to other states. From a place of former economic dominance, Illinois now ranks 45th in gross state product (GSP) growth over the past decade...

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