Illinois taxpayers pay $15,000 per AFSCME worker in annual health care costs

By Mailee Smith

06/27/2016

AFSCME balks at Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposal that state workers chip in more for their Cadillac health insurance.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, Bruce Rauner, health insurance, labor, unions

Lang tax plan would push top overall tax rate for small businesses to over 50% in Illinois

By Michael Lucci

05/03/2016

Lang’s progressive-tax proposal would hit successful small businesses, which account for 72 percent of all small-business income in Illinois.

TAGS: graduated income tax, Lou Lang, progressive income tax, small business

Illinois corruption watch: February 2016

03/07/2016

Illinoisans’ confidence in their state government is the lowest of residents of any state in the nation, and corruption stories from February 2016 don’t help.

2011 workers’ compensation reform

By Mark Adams

01/02/2016

Part 3 of Illinois’ broken workers’ compensation system: the major components of the 2011 reform

TAGS: workers compensation

Illinois Corruption Watch: October 2015

11/04/2015

October saw a former Chicago Public Schools CEO plead guilty to wire fraud and several other instances of criminal charges and civil lawsuits against public officials, as well as crony deals between businesses and government.

TAGS: corruption

Crony chronicles: Certificates of need

By Austin Berg

05/14/2015

How an Illinois state board known mainly for corruption operates a Soviet-style system proven to fail.

Is Medicaid access about to get worse in Illinois?

By Naomi Lopez Bauman

01/02/2015

Illinois’ Medicaid reimbursement rates are dropping back to about 54 percent of what the federal Medicare program pays for similar visits and procedures.

TAGS: ACA: Affordable Care Act, health care

Illinois Corruption Watch, October 2014

By Brian Costin

11/01/2014

In October, we found 52 different stories of potential public corruption in Illinois, including a trio of stories related to the election. An Illinois Policy investigation into emails from a group of Kankakee County superintendents revealed potentially illegal activities to pass a countywide sales-tax hike for school facilities. Documents obtained suggest illegal actions by superintendents...

TAGS: good government, waste

Illinois state retirees contribute too little to their health benefits

By Naomi Lopez Bauman

09/02/2014

Illinois is already facing a shortfall of more than $56 billion in retiree health insurance debt. But today, many state workers retire in their 50s with full health-insurance benefits and then supplemental coverage once they are eligible for Medicare. State retirees pay a small portion of that total cost, but taxpayers are footing the bill...

TAGS: health care, Medicare

Judge rules state workers don’t have to pay for retiree health coverage

By Naomi Lopez Bauman

08/29/2014

An Illinois 7th Circuit judge has ruled that the state cannot make deductions from state retirees’ pension checks for their retiree health insurance coverage. Based on this temporary injunction, state retirees no longer have to pay 1- 2 percent of their pension check for their retirement health-insurance coverage. Judge Steven Nardulli of the state’s 7th...

TAGS: health care, pensions, state worker pay

Medicare

Illinois taxpayers pay $15,000 per AFSCME worker in annual health care costs

Lang tax plan would push top overall tax rate for small businesses to over 50% in Illinois

Illinois corruption watch: February 2016

2011 workers’ compensation reform

Illinois Corruption Watch: October 2015

Crony chronicles: Certificates of need

Is Medicaid access about to get worse in Illinois?

Illinois Corruption Watch, October 2014

Illinois state retirees contribute too little to their health benefits

Judge rules state workers don’t have to pay for retiree health coverage

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