Springfield’s ‘bad Santas’ can’t kick sin tax habit

By Dylan Sharkey

12/07/2022

Bad habits are tough to break, and Illinois lawmakers can’t ditch their habit of depending on sin taxes to raise revenue.

TAGS: sin taxes

Illinois ranks least tax-friendly state for middle-class families, 2nd-worst for retirees

By Patrick Andriesen

12/06/2022

Tax friendliness reports ranked Illinois as the most expensive for middle-class families and second most expensive for retirees. Analysts cited high property taxes, sales taxes and income taxes as cinching the bottom spots.

TAGS: Illinois, taxes

3 things you need to know about latest SAFE-T Act changes

By Joe Tabor

12/01/2022

Lawmakers are set to consider an amendment to the controversial criminal justice reform law set to take effect on Jan. 1. Here are three things Illinoisans should know about the proposed changes.

TAGS: SAFE-T Act

Everything Illinoisans need to know about the SAFE-T Act

By Joe Tabor, Perry Zhao

11/18/2022

The omnibus criminal justice reform bill became highly politicized in the November elections, mixing fact and fiction. There are problems with the bill, but state lawmakers can fix them before the SAFE-T Act takes effect in January.

TAGS: SAFE-T Act

Fixing Illinois pension crisis by amending nation’s most-restrictive pension law is legal, effective

By Joe Tabor

08/17/2022

Published Aug. 17, 2022 Illinois is home to one of the worst pension crises in the country.1 At 39% funded, according to the nonpartisan Pew Charitable Trusts, Illinois has the worst pension funding ratio of any state.2 By contrast, neighboring Wisconsin’s pension system is 103% funded.3 In fiscal year 2022, Illinois’ total general funds pension...

Call it Independence Day – the meaning matters

By John Tillman

07/04/2022

We too often call it the “Fourth of July” and lose sight of its true meaning – independence. Independence from tyranny and the freedom to pursue life, liberty and happiness.

Illinois’ state, local tax burden highest in Midwest after 2nd-largest increase in U.S.

By Bryce Hill

04/11/2022

The effective state and local tax burden in Illinois has risen from 11.2% in 2019 to 12.9% in 2022. It is now the nation’s seventh highest.

TAGS: Illinois, tax burden

Illinois Supreme Court denies Pritzker’s appeal of school mask mandate decisions, schools move to mask optional Feb. 28

By Amy Korte, Mailee Smith

02/25/2022

After the Illinois Supreme Court determined the state’s appeal of decisions regarding the governor’s school mask rules was moot, the governor declared schools can move to mask optional policies on Feb. 28.

TAGS: Illinois Supreme Court, JB Pritzker, mask mandate, public schools

Chicago, Cook County to lift mask mandates and vaccine requirement Feb. 28

By Patrick Andriesen

02/10/2022

Chicago and Cook County health officials announced plans to revoke pandemic masking and vaccination entry requirements by Feb. 28, the day Illinois’ statewide mask mandate will be lifted. Pritzker has warned Illinoisans to keep masks handy.

TAGS: Chicago, Cook County, COVID-19, mask mandate

Pritzker keeps mask mandates for schools indefinitely

By Amy Korte

02/09/2022

The governor’s maintenance of statewide school mask mandates without benchmarks for their removal makes Illinois an outlier.

TAGS: COVID-19, JB Pritzker, mask mandate, public schools

New Jersey

Springfield’s ‘bad Santas’ can’t kick sin tax habit

Illinois ranks least tax-friendly state for middle-class families, 2nd-worst for retirees

3 things you need to know about latest SAFE-T Act changes

Everything Illinoisans need to know about the SAFE-T Act

Fixing Illinois pension crisis by amending nation’s most-restrictive pension law is legal, effective

Call it Independence Day – the meaning matters

Illinois’ state, local tax burden highest in Midwest after 2nd-largest increase in U.S.

Illinois Supreme Court denies Pritzker’s appeal of school mask mandate decisions, schools move to mask optional Feb. 28

Chicago, Cook County to lift mask mandates and vaccine requirement Feb. 28

Pritzker keeps mask mandates for schools indefinitely

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