The average Illinois AFSCME worker receives over $100,000 a year in total compensation. But that isn’t enough for AFSCME leadership – it is demanding even more. And its demands should offend Illinois taxpayers footing the bill.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, Bruce Rauner, strike

State senators stave off spending reform, test tax hikes instead

By Austin Berg

02/16/2017

Illinois’ combined state and average local sales tax rate is the highest in the Midwest.

TAGS: budget, Illinois Senate

84,000 Illinoisans moved to states with no income tax from 2011-2014

By Lea Thoele

02/14/2017

The Land of Lincoln lost almost 84,000 residents and over $6.5 billion in taxable income to the seven states without an income tax while Illinois’ 2011 income tax hike was in effect.

TAGS: outmigration, population

Employers in DuPage and Cook counties reported 429 layoffs in January

By Brendan Bakala

02/13/2017

Numbers from the January 2017 Illinois WARN report show most of the mass layoffs were in the service industry.

TAGS: jobs, unemployment, WARN

Civic Federation proposal hits Illinois taxpayers with $51 billion in tax hikes

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

02/12/2017

The Civic Federation’s budget plan repeats old mistakes with multibillion-dollar tax hikes and no serious, structural reform.

TAGS: budget, Civic Federation, pensions, taxes

Education finance solutions

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

02/09/2017

Making Illinois’ system fairer through pension reform, consolidation and accountability to parents and students.

Illinois senators want new tax on services, higher sales tax on food, medicine

By Austin Berg

02/08/2017

The proposal would be part of the Senate’s “grand bargain,” which also includes a multibillion-dollar income tax hike.

TAGS: budget, Christine Radogno, Illinois Senate, John Cullerton, sales tax, taxes

Midwestern United States

Illinois companies announce nearly 1,000 mass layoffs in February, including almost 250 manufacturing jobs

The truth about your property tax bill

Illinois spends the most per student of any state in the Midwest

Potential AFSCME strike looms despite members’ high pay, benefits

State senators stave off spending reform, test tax hikes instead

84,000 Illinoisans moved to states with no income tax from 2011-2014

Employers in DuPage and Cook counties reported 429 layoffs in January

Civic Federation proposal hits Illinois taxpayers with $51 billion in tax hikes

Education finance solutions

Illinois senators want new tax on services, higher sales tax on food, medicine

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