The Illinois Senate’s proposed budget plan would raise the personal income tax rate to at least 4.95 percent with no real reforms to address the state’s skyrocketing debt and unsustainable spending. This proposal comes despite Illinois’ loss of $14 billion in annual income and hundreds of thousands of people in the wake of the 2011 income tax hike.

This morning, Cook County Circuit Judge Robert Lopez Cepero struck down the online affiliate tax (Public Act 096-1544). The law required out-of-state online retailers such as Amazon.com to collect and remit sales taxes on purchases made by Illinois residents if the online retailer maintained a physical presence in Illinois. The law was signed by Gov....

by Taylor Smith It’s no secret that Illinois’ record income tax hike has failed to revive Illinois’ fiscal health. But it also has dramatically exacerbated the state’s economic outlook on many levels. Since the tax hike, Illinois’ unemployment numbers have worsened. In 2011, Illinois’ unemployment rate increased most in the nation – by far – with 46...