Workers’ compensation is a significant cost to Illinois taxpayers and drains scarce tax dollars from government coffers. A previous report in this series estimated the direct cost of workers’ compensation to state, county and municipal governments is $402 million in worker payouts per year.1 Building upon those findings, this report estimates that the total cost of workers’ compensation to...

Many St. Clair County residents would face higher sales tax rates than Chicago if sales tax proposals pass

By Lea Thoele

04/04/2017

If voters approve proposals to raise St. Clair County sales taxes by a combined 2 percent, people in some parts of St. Clair County would face total sales taxes of over 11 percent.

TAGS: sales tax, St. Clair County, taxes

Chicago Teachers Union seeks more negotiating power, strike authority in HB 1253

By Mailee Smith

03/31/2017

While states surrounding Illinois are enacting labor reforms that benefit residents, Illinois remains a bastion of labor power. Now the Chicago Teachers Union wants even more power – including the broadened right to go on strike and strand parents and students.

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

‘Evidence-based’ education funding doesn’t work, would cost Illinois taxpayers billions

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

03/28/2017

An education-funding plan in the General Assembly is already proven to make unattainable goals at a high cost to taxpayers.

TAGS: budget, education

Illinois lawmaker files legislation allowing delay of legislator pay after court ruling says politicians must be paid

03/23/2017

State Sen. Dan McConchie, R-Hawthorne Woods, filed legislation March 23 that would give the Illinois Comptroller’s office discretion to delay payments to lawmakers if insufficient funding exists to do so. This came just hours after a Cook County judge said lawmakers must be paid.

TAGS: budget, Chris Welch, Dan McConchie, Illinois Comptroller, John Cullerton, Kate Cloonen, lawmaker pay, Lisa Hernandez, Mary Flowers, Mike Madigan, Pat Quinn, Silvana Tabares, Susana Mendoza

Judge says lawmakers shouldn’t be paid ahead of everyone else

By Brendan Bakala

03/17/2017

Judge Garcia points to the lack of a budget as reason enough to delay payments to legislators.

TAGS: budget, lawmaker pay, Leslie Munger

Midwestern United States

Decatur shrinks as Illinois manufacturing declines

The shrinking Metro East

Illinois workers’ compensation rules cost taxpayers nearly $1 billion a year

Illinois’ employment drought and the oases next door

Workers’ compensation estimated to cost Illinois taxpayers nearly $1 billion per year

Many St. Clair County residents would face higher sales tax rates than Chicago if sales tax proposals pass

Chicago Teachers Union seeks more negotiating power, strike authority in HB 1253

‘Evidence-based’ education funding doesn’t work, would cost Illinois taxpayers billions

Illinois lawmaker files legislation allowing delay of legislator pay after court ruling says politicians must be paid

Judge says lawmakers shouldn’t be paid ahead of everyone else

Chicago Forward 2026: A pro-growth plan to end city budget deficits

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