Pritzker’s ‘fair tax’ makes city income taxes more likely

By Amy Korte

10/02/2020

If the Illinois Constitution is amended to allow different income tax rates, expect cities to try to impose their own income taxes.

TAGS: fair tax, JB Pritzker, progressive income tax

Pension apocalypse? COVID-19 exposes long-running fragility of Illinois public pensions

By Adam Schuster

09/03/2020

Illinois’ pension crisis has been a growing problem for decades, and its negative effects on state residents are well documented.1 Economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and related government shutdown orders threaten to bring that long-running crisis closer to its breaking point. The state’s five pension systems collectively held nearly $139 billion of debt at...

Illinois House investigative committee to review Madigan’s role in ComEd scandal

09/02/2020

The special investigative committee will determine whether Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan should be disciplined after being implicated in the ComEd bribery scandal.

TAGS: bribery, ComEd, corruption, federal investigation, Mike Madigan

Madigan’s fiscal legacy: How the longest-serving state House speaker built Illinois’ mountain of debt

By Adam Schuster

08/26/2020

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.

Illinois workers remain idle despite national rebound

By Bryce Hill

07/28/2020

The state and most of its urban areas are failing to get residents back to work at rates matching the national average.

TAGS: coronavirus, COVID-19, executive order, jobs, unemployment

Illinois tops neighboring states with $10 minimum wage on July 1

06/29/2020

Illinois’ second minimum wage increase this year is part of a plan to hit $15 an hour in 2025. Small businesses face tough decisions on cutting staff or raising prices.

TAGS: coronavirus, COVID-19, minimum wage, recession

COVID-19 economic hit forces Peoria to cut 45 city jobs, offer buyouts

06/24/2020

Peoria’s financial problems grew critical from the coronavirus, but the long-term threat of pension debt will remain even after more severe cuts are made.

TAGS: coronavirus, COVID-19, Peoria, recession

Decatur, Peoria and Elgin hardest hit by job loss during Illinois lockdown

By Bryce Hill

06/04/2020

Record April job losses hurt some communities even more than Illinois’ statewide decline of 13.4%.

Illinois’ small business owners face imprisonment, $2,500 fine for reopening under Pritzker’s order

05/18/2020

The governor’s new penalty comes without approval from the Illinois General Assembly.

TAGS: coronavirus, COVID-19, executive order, small business

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

Peoria

Pritzker’s ‘fair tax’ makes city income taxes more likely

Pension apocalypse? COVID-19 exposes long-running fragility of Illinois public pensions

Illinois House investigative committee to review Madigan’s role in ComEd scandal

Madigan’s fiscal legacy: How the longest-serving state House speaker built Illinois’ mountain of debt

Illinois workers remain idle despite national rebound

Illinois tops neighboring states with $10 minimum wage on July 1

COVID-19 economic hit forces Peoria to cut 45 city jobs, offer buyouts

Decatur, Peoria and Elgin hardest hit by job loss during Illinois lockdown

Illinois’ small business owners face imprisonment, $2,500 fine for reopening under Pritzker’s order

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

FAQ: How the federal scholarship program would help 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