$35B in federal aid, higher tax revenues mask Pritzker budgetary blunders

By Bryce Hill, Ravi Mishra

07/03/2024

While Gov. J.B. Pritzker has been in office during upgrades in the state’s credit rating and reductions in some state debts, analysis shows improvements were more luck than fiscal design.

TAGS: budget

What you should know about the Chicago Teachers Union

By Brad Weisenstein

04/04/2024

The Chicago Teachers Union put its lobbyist in the Chicago mayor's office and is now negotiating its next contract with him. What taxpayers should know about CTU, how it's impacted education, its leadership and its ambitions to be the political machine running the nation's third-largest city.

TAGS: CPS: Chicago Public Schools, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, education

Pritzker’s new budget would create state child tax credit

By Bryce Hill, Dylan Sharkey

04/02/2024

Illinoisans with children younger than 3 could soon get a break on their state taxes. Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s newest budget would let qualifying parents around the state keep $12 million in taxes.

TAGS: JB Pritzker

Pensions eat up $11.6B of Illinois’ budget

By Bryce Hill, Dylan Sharkey

04/02/2024

Despite taking up 20% of the state’s general funds and $11.6 billion in total, experts said lawmakers still underpaid the five statewide government retirement plans.

Pritzker budget: $93M income tax hike for record spending

By Dylan Sharkey

04/01/2024

Gov. J.B. Pritzker wants to take nearly $100 million more from Illinoisans through state income taxes, averaging $45 per family.

TAGS: budget, income tax, JB Pritzker

Pritzker plans to keep $45 your family should be taking off state taxes

By Patrick Andriesen

03/07/2024

Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proposed reduction of Illinois’ standard income tax exemption would increase taxes for over 11 million individuals. Some state leaders warn the effective tax hike would hit working families hardest.

TAGS: JB Pritzker

Pritzker wants to spend record amount but needs $898M in tax hikes to do it

By Bryce Hill

03/01/2024

Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s record-setting $52.7 billion 2025 spending plan needs massive tax increases. Tax changes will hurt individuals, businesses and local governments.

TAGS: JB Pritzker

Paul Vallas: Illinois’ real ‘State of the State’

By Paul Vallas

02/23/2024

Illinois is on an upward path, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said during his State of the State speech. True, by some measures. Not so much by too many measures that matter.

Eliminating grocery tax would help Illinois families

By Dylan Sharkey

02/21/2024

Gov. J.B. Pritzker is supporting an end to Illinois’ 1% grocery tax. Illinois is one of only 13 states with a grocery tax, and the only one of the nation’s 10 largest states.

Our perspective: Illinois’ state budget is nearly $13B higher today than it was 6 years ago

By Hilary Gowins

02/21/2024

Pritzker proposes to permanently repeal the 1% state grocery tax. That’s good. The ballooning size of the state budget, not so good.

TAGS: budget, JB Pritzker, taxes

J. B. Pritzker

$35B in federal aid, higher tax revenues mask Pritzker budgetary blunders

What you should know about the Chicago Teachers Union

Pritzker’s new budget would create state child tax credit

Pensions eat up $11.6B of Illinois’ budget

Pritzker budget: $93M income tax hike for record spending

Pritzker plans to keep $45 your family should be taking off state taxes

Pritzker wants to spend record amount but needs $898M in tax hikes to do it

Paul Vallas: Illinois’ real ‘State of the State’

Eliminating grocery tax would help Illinois families

Our perspective: Illinois’ state budget is nearly $13B higher today than it was 6 years ago

4 ways to break out of Illinois’ pension trap

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