Illinois’ burdensome tax climate for businesses will continue to hold the state back from creating jobs and growing the economy in 2015. The Tax Foundation issued its 2015 State Business Tax Climate Index, reporting that Illinois dropped two positions in the ranking since last year, to 31st from 29th. Prior to 2011, Illinois steadily ranked...

Until the mid-1900s, people from across the world stampeded into Illinois in search of opportunity. Workers from rural America came to build Pullman cars, erect skyscrapers and fill factories. Immigrants from Eastern Europe arrived in search of economic freedom. And laborers left the agrarian South to participate in America’s industrialization. Illinois’ population doubled from 1900...