Despite economic crisis, Pritzker won’t consider postponing $261 million in state raises

By Mailee Smith

04/24/2020

With more than 755,000 Illinoisans out of work, state employees are still scheduled to get their automatic raises. Gov. J.B. Pritzker is treating those raises as non-negotiable. Governors in other states would disagree.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, coronavirus, COVID-19, executive order, state worker pay

Pritzker failing to help out-of-work Illinoisans as other states adapt

By Austin Berg

04/21/2020

Illinoisans shoulder among the highest tax burdens of any state, and that should come with robust services. But soaring debt and pension costs have left too little room for the things residents need most from government.

TAGS: coronavirus, COVID-19, IDES: Illinois Department of Employment Security, JB Pritzker, unemployment

Illinois state, local tax burden ranked highest in nation

By Brad Weisenstein

04/14/2020

Illinois residents pay more of their income toward state and local taxes than any other state’s residents. A progressive income tax proposal on the ballot in November would raise the state’s total tax burden by $3.7 billion.

TAGS: outmigration, progressive income tax, tax burden

Illinois scheduled to give $261M in automatic pay raises to state workers

By Mailee Smith

04/13/2020

Pritzker should join other Democratic governors in postponing automatic pay raises, which would free up funds for needy Illinoisans and potentially preserve state worker jobs in the long run.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, coronavirus, COVID-19, pensions, public sector, state worker pay

Before COVID-19 downturn, Illinois saw shrinking payrolls and nation’s worst loss of manufacturing jobs

By Bryce Hill

03/31/2020

New data show Illinois lost private sector jobs amid a national economic expansion for the first year on record in 2019, a sign of the state’s deep structural problems in the run-up to the current market downturn.

TAGS: BLS: Bureau of Labor Statistics, coronavirus, COVID-19, economic growth, employment, jobs, labor force participation rate, unemployment

Every Illinois metro area loses population for second year in a row

By Bryce Hill

03/27/2020

New census data reveals that for a second year, all 10 metro areas based primarily in Illinois experienced population decline.

TAGS: outmigration, population, tax burden, tax hikes, U.S. Census Bureau

Pritzker gives stay-at-home order for Illinois, in effect until April 7

By Brad Weisenstein

03/20/2020

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on March 20 ordered state residents to stay home except for essential workers and trips for supplies. The order came as Illinois recorded its fifth death and 585 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

TAGS: coronavirus, COVID-19, JB Pritzker

Illinois expected to join California, New York with ‘shelter-in-place’ order

By Brad Weisenstein

03/20/2020

Gov. J.B. Pritzker is expected to issue the order beginning Saturday to contain spread of COVID-19.

TAGS: coronavirus, COVID-19

New Mexico passes bipartisan pension reform

By Adam Schuster

03/10/2020

As Illinois elected leaders continue to delay action on pension reform, a broad and bipartisan coalition has succeeded in pushing for reforms to public employee benefits in New Mexico.

TAGS: COLA: cost of living adjustment, constitutional amendment, government unions, Illinois Supreme Court, JB Pritzker, New Mexico, pensions

Why the soda tax ‘worked’ and the progressive tax won’t

By Austin Berg

02/28/2020

There’s no doubt: the county taxed soda more, so people bought less of it. It’s a simple lesson. So why doesn’t Springfield get it?

TAGS: Cook County, home price index, Illinois Constitution, JB Pritzker, outmigration, progressive income tax, property taxes, soda tax, tax burden, Toni Preckwinkle

New York

Despite economic crisis, Pritzker won’t consider postponing $261 million in state raises

Pritzker failing to help out-of-work Illinoisans as other states adapt

Illinois state, local tax burden ranked highest in nation

Illinois scheduled to give $261M in automatic pay raises to state workers

Before COVID-19 downturn, Illinois saw shrinking payrolls and nation’s worst loss of manufacturing jobs

Every Illinois metro area loses population for second year in a row

Pritzker gives stay-at-home order for Illinois, in effect until April 7

Illinois expected to join California, New York with ‘shelter-in-place’ order

New Mexico passes bipartisan pension reform

Why the soda tax ‘worked’ and the progressive tax won’t

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

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