Indiana

Michigan voters say no to union proposals

By Paul Kersey
11/07/2012
An interesting test for Illinois came in Michigan, where labor unions were largely defeated in a state that saw Democrats do well. Michigan voters rejected two union-backed ballot proposals that were intended to undo a string of labor-law reforms and cost-saving measures. The results confirm that the public in the upper Midwest is ready to rethink...

Even before record 67 percent tax hike, Illinois has 11th-highest tax burden nationwide

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner
10/23/2012
The Tax Foundation has reaffirmed Illinois’ status as a high-tax state in its newly released 2012 Annual State-Local Tax Burden Ranking. Based on the Census Bureau’s 2010 data, the report found that Illinois’ overall tax burden per resident is the 11th highest in the nation. Some highlights from the report include: At 10.2 percent, Illinois has...

Illinois’ business tax climate

By Benjamin VanMetre
10/10/2012
Illinois’ poor public policies continue to hammer the state’s business climate. This week the Tax Foundation released its 2013 State Business Tax Climate Index, confirming the state’s worsening position. Illinois dropped a full 13 places, to 29th, from 16th just since 2011.  Illinois now ranks worse than most of its neighbors. The Tax Foundation ranks states based on...

Illinois’ business tax climate

By Benjamin VanMetre
10/10/2012
Illinois’ poor public policies continue to hammer the state’s business climate. This week the Tax Foundation released its 2013 State Business Tax Climate Index, confirming the state’s worsening position. Illinois dropped a full 13 places, to 29th, from 16th just since 2011.  Illinois now ranks worse than most of its neighbors. The Tax Foundation ranks states based on...

Progressive income tax: Money grab disguised as tax reform

By Lawrence McQuillan
10/10/2012
The problem In an interview with Huffington Post, Gov. Pat Quinn said that Illinois needs a progressive income tax.1 “That’s one of my goals before I stop breathing and I sure hope we can get that done in Illinois. Sooner rather than later,” he told the interviewer. The same forces that helped Quinn land the...

Unemployment increases, but underemployment is even higher

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner
10/02/2012
The nation’s unemployment rate increased to 7.9 percent in October from 7.8 percent in September, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. If that number is a reflection of the country’s anemic recovery, consider the implications of Illinois’ 8.8 percent unemployment rate in September. There are more than 580,000 Illinoisans formally out of work. And these...

Why the No Pension Bailout project matters

09/27/2012
The goal of No Pension Bailout is to prevent the federal government from bailing out Illinois or any other states that have mismanaged their funds. We oppose a bailout because not only would it destroy state sovereignty and the concept of fiscal federalism once and for all, it would also transfer trillions of dollars from...
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Pathway to a Profession: How Apprenticeships Could Reshape Illinois’ Beauty Service Industry

Occupational licensing requirements present one of the steepest barriers to low-income Illinoisans starting careers in beauty services. Illinois requires anyone seeking to become a barber, cosmetologist, nail technician or hair braider to obtain a state license, essentially a permission slip to work. Unlike 45 other states, Illinois offers only one pathway to licensure for each...

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Diana Graham

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

By Paul Kersey
06/19/2014

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students

By Ted Dabrowski
05/02/2016