Illinois again seeing one of most-contested elections in 2 decades

By Joe Tabor, Perry Zhao

12/12/2023

Illinois politicians have worked hard to protect incumbent state lawmakers and discourage newcomers. But that is changing for the second election cycle in a row as more Illinoisans work to get into the Illinois General Assembly.

Chicago Teachers Union president misses deadline to pay back taxes, penalty

By Jess Plowman

12/11/2023

Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates missed the deadline to pay $1,533 in back taxes and penalties on her Indiana house. She was fined for taking a homeowner’s property tax break on a South Bend house she didn’t live in.

TAGS: CTU: Chicago Teachers Union

Vallas: ‘Illinois is back,’ but only in Pritzker’s active imagination

By Paul Vallas

12/08/2023

Gov. J.B. Pritzker told Crain’s Chicago Business, “Illinois is back.” But with a long list of state and local fiscal and economic problems, that is more spin than reality.

TAGS: JB Pritzker

Illinois pension debt grows $2.6 billion in 2023, mainly to cover raises

By Patrick Andriesen

12/08/2023

Unfunded liabilities for Illinois’ five statewide pension systems grew by $2.5 billion in a year, hitting its second-highest level since 2009. Researchers attributed most of the growth to “larger than expected salary increases.”

5 jobs Illinois imposes heaviest licensing burdens on

By Joe Tabor

12/04/2023

Employment is the clearest path out of poverty, but these five low-income professions face more occupational licensing burdens than others in Illinois.

Illinois’ excessive job licensing keeps Chicagoans in poverty

By Joe Tabor

12/01/2023

Occupational licensing is more burdensome in Illinois than in neighboring states for many professions. Those barriers are unreasonably keeping poor Illinoisans and Chicagoans from finding work.

TAGS: occupational licensing

Illinois licensing makes escaping poverty harder than in other Midwestern states

By Joe Tabor

11/27/2023

Illinois could make it easier to escape poverty by letting more people work without first getting a license. Six neighboring states do a better job of easing occupational licensing on low-income professions.

Illinois mandated annual reports on Invest in Kids: 4 years, no reports

By Patrick Andriesen

11/22/2023

The Illinois State Board of Education failed to publish diagnostic reports required by the Invest in Kids Act to track scholarship recipients’ progress starting in 2019. State lawmakers are letting the program expire without seeing a single report.

Shopping small on Saturday? Good. Small businesses lead Illinois’ job growth.

By Dylan Sharkey

11/22/2023

Small Business Saturday offers a reason to be thankful: Illinois businesses with fewer than 20 employees were the ones creating the most new jobs.

Over 1M Illinois families rely on food stamps for Thanksgiving dinner

By Dylan Sharkey

11/21/2023

More than 1 million Illinois households will rely on federal food assistance for Thanksgiving. Eliminating the grocery tax could help those relying on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

TAGS: Thanksgiving

Illinois

Illinois again seeing one of most-contested elections in 2 decades

Chicago Teachers Union president misses deadline to pay back taxes, penalty

Vallas: ‘Illinois is back,’ but only in Pritzker’s active imagination

Illinois pension debt grows $2.6 billion in 2023, mainly to cover raises

5 jobs Illinois imposes heaviest licensing burdens on

Illinois’ excessive job licensing keeps Chicagoans in poverty

Illinois licensing makes escaping poverty harder than in other Midwestern states

Illinois mandated annual reports on Invest in Kids: 4 years, no reports

Shopping small on Saturday? Good. Small businesses lead Illinois’ job growth.

Over 1M Illinois families rely on food stamps for Thanksgiving dinner

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