Republican Party

Chapa LaVia’s war on school choice

04/04/2014
Should this Twitter ad be illegal? State Rep. Chapa LaVia, a Democrat from Aurora and head of the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee, thinks so. She’s the chief sponsor of a bill that would prohibit “any and all marketing and advertising to the public for charter school enrollment and recruitment made by a charter...

Illinois pension reform resurfaces

By Matt Paprocki
03/01/2014
In December 2013, a pension reform bill passed out of the Illinois General Assembly. Sponsors of the bill estimated $160 billion in savings over the next 30 years, and supporters touted that the pension problem in Illinois was finally fixed. In fact, most of the dialogue throughout the Capitol was that the state-funded pension systems...

TAGS: 401(k), COGFA: Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, defined benefit plans, GARS: General Assembly Retirement System, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, pensions

Progressive tax opposition builds as Senate Republicans make budget demands

By Benjamin VanMetre
02/25/2014
Income taxes will arguably be one of the most contentious issues during the current legislative session. And rightly so. Under current law, all Illinois families and businesses will receive tax relief in 2015. That’s because the state’s personal income tax is slated to drop to 3.75 percent from 5 percent, and the corporate income tax...

Illinois has a dirty little secret buried in its tax history

By Benjamin VanMetre
01/02/2014
Illinois has a dirty little secret buried in its tax history – the first income tax approved in Illinois was a progressive tax. Fortunately, the progressive tax was ruled unconstitutional and was never implemented. But now the threat of a progressive tax hike is back again. Originally, Illinois didn’t have an income tax. When the...

TAGS: fair tax, flat tax, graduated income tax, income tax, progressive income tax, taxes

Government affairs gearing up for 2014

By Matt Paprocki
12/31/2013
With 2014 just around the corner, the Illinois Policy Institute’s government affairs department has much to look forward to, including a new legislative arm, an aggressive legislative agenda and even more talented staff. The Institute announces its launch of Illinois Policy Action. In December, Illinois Policy Institute CEO John Tillman released the following statement: “Illinois Policy Action...

Illinois Policy Institute’s government affairs team makes big strides in 2013

By Jane McEnaney
12/29/2013
The Illinois Policy Institute’s overarching goal is to transform liberty principles into marketable policies that become law. Naturally, the ultimate sign of success is when free market ideas are turned into laws that change lives for the better. There’s a long way to go before our vision is fully realized, but this year, our government...

Fighting the progressive tax in Illinois

By Benjamin VanMetre
12/27/2013
Fighting the progressive tax in Illinois The battle to raise taxes again is underway in Illinois. Politicians and special interest groups across the state have put a plan in motion to implement yet another income tax hike in Illinois – one that targets the state’s working- and middle-class residents. Politicians already pushed through a record...

TAGS: fair tax, flat tax, income tax, progressive income tax

Bipartisan success 2013

By Matt Paprocki, Jane McEnaney
12/19/2013
The Illinois Policy Institute introduced the only comprehensive pension reform plan during the 2013 legislative session. The Institute’s pension solution is the first plan that shifts Illinois workers out of the state’s broke defined benefit system and into a 401(k)-style plan, giving workers control and the pension system solvency. The introduction of this legislation has...

After ‘backroom deal,’ Illinois to hire 500 new government workers to replace private Medicaid scrub contractor

By Hilary Gowins
12/18/2013
Republican state Sens. Dale Righter and Patti Bellock accused the Quinn administration of cutting a “backroom deal” with the largest state employee union that will dismantle efforts to crack down on Medicaid fraud, according to the State Journal-Register. In 2012, the state hired a private vendor to help rein in out-of-control costs associated with Illinois’...

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, Maximus, Medicaid

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Chicago Forward 2026: A pro-growth plan to end city budget deficits

Chicago’s $1.15 billion projected budget gap is the latest in a decades-long string of structural deficits. Making Chicago’s high taxes worse is not the solution.

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Diana Graham

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

By Paul Kersey
06/19/2014

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students

By Ted Dabrowski
05/02/2016