Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced a donation of $4 million in Six Flags tickets will be used as an incentive to get more Illinoisans their COVID-19 vaccinations. The 50,000 tickets will be targeted to minority communities.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker wants to keep those masks on Illinoisans, he said in announcing a June 11 target to reopen the state. The reopening ‘bridge’ phase he added in March may begin May 14.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Illinois could fully reopen in July, but fully reopen with some permanent restrictions. The state has yet to enter the ‘bridge phase’ to reopening that he added in March.
Illinois has a chance to fix its state finances, thanks to federal relief. But unless pension growth is brought under control, both retirees and taxpayers will be at risk as debt continues to consume state services.
Illinoisans pay a hidden pension tax. Eliminating that cost would free up resources to help Illinois recover from the COVID-19 recession while also raising the state’s long-term economic potential.
Decades of institutionalized financial mismanagement left Illinois with the nation’s worst fiscal health. Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan has been at the center of nearly every bad decision along the way.
The credit rating agency also said Illinois will soon pass the point of no return on public pension debt. It warned against schemes to stretch or delay pension payments.
Illinois’ tax code stands in the way of the state’s economic competitiveness. The combination of high tax burdens and a poor tax structure contributes to the loss of jobs and investment to other states. From a place of former economic dominance, Illinois now ranks 45th in gross state product (GSP) growth over the past decade...