The expiration of the state’s EDGE program – which has given large companies more than $1 billion in tax credits the last 15 years – is good news for taxpayers and should encourage lawmakers to pass real reforms.

Illinois has record loss of 114,000 residents to other states in 2016 as population shrinks by 37,500.

Illinois’ July WARN report marks a 59% increase in layoffs from June’s numbers, as well as an uptick in manufacturing job losses.

There’s a reason new facilities aren’t being built in Illinois: In too many cases a business investment in Illinois doesn’t make financial sense unless Illinois taxpayers are paying for a chunk of the project. This system isn’t good for businesses, or for workers and unions that are losing jobs. Until Illinois makes the broad tax and regulatory reforms needed to compete for blue-collar jobs, businesses are going to keep expanding elsewhere or asking for tax breaks to come here.

Amazon’s new Joliet, Ill., facilities will bring needed jobs to the state, but special tax deals are not the way to improve Illinois’ sluggish jobs climate.