With 90% voting “no,” Bensenville voters shot down a grocery tax proposal. Illinois’ statewide grocery tax is ending at the end of 2025, but some local leaders want it to stay.
Mayor Brandon Johnson celebrated Dyett High School where only 2% of tested students can read at grade level – and none can do math at grade level – as a “great example” of a schooling model the Chicago Teachers Union’s tentative contract plans to boost.
Illinois townships are sounding the alarm on the state’s biggest issues. Eight townships voted in support of state lawmakers fixing the state’s pensions crisis, gerrymandering and unfunded mandates.
Fears have grown that more efficient cars mean less money for Illinois to fund roads. But the state already collects higher revenues than ever while burdening drivers with high taxes and fees.
Illinois will impose the nation’s seventh-highest state and local tax burden on residents in 2025. Taxpayers on average will pay over 10% of their annual income to support government, according to WalletHub.
Illinois lawmakers can’t budget responsibly if they don’t know how much they have. Governors have a history of fudging the numbers to get what they want.
State politicians might eliminate the tipped minimum wage, putting tipped workers on the $15 per hour wage. But with higher wages come higher costs for businesses, which could raise prices or cut jobs.
Student literacy is in trouble nationally. Illinois is one of 41 states where just 1 in 3 or fewer of its fourth-graders met reading standards in 2024.
Illinois enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program decreased slightly in December, but over 1.9 million residents still received benefits.
Typical property tax bill increased 78% on a Cook County residence since 2007. Median property values only rose 7.3%. That leaves residents paying $2,558 more a year in property taxes while their biggest investment fails to keep up with inflation.
The “gift room” scandal, a botched police raid and a smokestack implosion underscore how the head of Chicago’s Law Department, also known as the corporation counsel, too often lacks independence from the mayor’s office. Chicago’s corporation counsel is appointed by the mayor and can be removed at the mayor’s discretion. Experience in other major cities...