Illinois passed a record-breaking income tax hike 3 years ago. Here’s where the money went.

By Adam Schuster

07/05/2020

Income taxes rose 32% for individuals and 33% for corporations in 2017, raising Illinois’ total tax burden to at least sixth highest from 10th highest. More than $1.2 billion went to pensions and debt.

TAGS: fair tax, income tax, JB Pritzker

‘Fair tax’ paves the way to taxing retirement income in Illinois

By Adam Schuster

04/15/2020

By granting broad new taxing authority to Springfield, the progressive income tax amendment makes a retirement income tax much more likely – a fact some supporters have acknowledged publicly.

TAGS: fair tax, outmigration, progressive income tax, retirement tax

Illinois Forward: A 5-year plan for balanced budgets, declining debt and tax relief

By Adam Schuster

02/15/2020

The years 2010 through 2019 will go down in Illinois history as a decade of public policy failure and economic decline. High fixed costs for pensions and government worker health care have prevented the state from balancing its budget in any year since 2001. Since the Great Recession in 2008, the state’s fiscal imbalance has...

Illinois Supreme Court: Union lobbyist can double pension for one day of teaching

By Vincent Caruso

04/05/2019

Illinois’ high court ruled a former union employee who worked a single day in the classroom is eligible to receive a decade’s worth of teacher pension benefits.

TAGS: Illinois Supreme Court, income tax, municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions, progressive income tax, SERS: State Employee Retirement System, taxes, TRS: Teachers’ Retirement System

Rock Island County hikes property taxes by nearly 12 percent

By Janelle Cammenga

12/05/2018

County board members narrowly voted to hike the county’s property tax levy by nearly 12 percent to make up for a $500,000 shortfall.

TAGS: property taxes, Rock Island County, taxes

Cards Against Humanity’s ‘Holiday Hole’ is the perfect metaphor for Illinois

By Eric Kohn

11/30/2016

Unlike the people who voluntarily have given tens of thousands of dollars toward Cards Against Humanity's Black Friday hole-digging gag, Illinois taxpayers are forced to pour money into the state's ever-growing budget and pension gaps.

TAGS: budget

An Illinois workers’ compensation system for the 21st century

By Mark Adams

07/15/2016

The state of Illinois has one of the oldest workers’ compensation systems in America, dating to 1911.

The Lion Meat Act is back

By Jane McEnaney

03/15/2014

In addition to having the highest jobless rate in the Midwest and the third-highest in the nation, Illinois’ jobless rate has gone up more in the last five years than any other state in the nation. Furthermore, the unfunded liability for Illinois’ five state-run pension systems has officially passed the $100 billion mark. With problems like...

TAGS: Lion Meat Act

Obama administration throws unions a bone in form of ObamaCare tax break

By Paul Kersey

11/07/2013

The Obama administration is throwing unions a bone on ObamaCare in the form of “tax break.” But if union officials are smart, they’ll throw it back. NPR is reporting that the administration is offering unions some relief from one of the many problematic features of the health care law. The proposal is to terminate a...

TAGS: ACA: Affordable Care Act, Taft-Hartley, unions

National Public Radio

Illinois passed a record-breaking income tax hike 3 years ago. Here’s where the money went.

‘Fair tax’ paves the way to taxing retirement income in Illinois

Illinois Forward: A 5-year plan for balanced budgets, declining debt and tax relief

Illinois Supreme Court: Union lobbyist can double pension for one day of teaching

Rock Island County hikes property taxes by nearly 12 percent

Cards Against Humanity’s ‘Holiday Hole’ is the perfect metaphor for Illinois

An Illinois workers’ compensation system for the 21st century

The Lion Meat Act is back

Obama administration throws unions a bone in form of ObamaCare tax break

What is the Education Freedom Tax Credit and how can it benefit 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