The 112th Congress, which convened today, plans to adopt new governing rules for guiding the legislative process. Multiple transparency reforms are among the changes under consideration. Springfield should take a look and consider them too.
by Wesley Fox Senate President John Cullerton announced today that he will form committees to study workers compensation and Medicaid reform, which are initiatives Republicans promoted during the campaign. The committees would advance legislation for a possible vote in January,according to the Sun-Times. Illinois’s workers’ compensation requirements are costly and discourage employers from hiring or even doing business...
President Obama will eventually agree to extend all the tax cuts if the Republicans stand firm and hold out for the full extension for all income levels. Extending the tax cuts helps Obama for his 2012 re-election regardless of how the economy performs. Allowing the tax hikes to go into effect could hurt him badly...
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn is engaged in a jobs spat with Wisconsin Governor-Elect Scott Walker. Walker had questioned the wisdom of committing Wisconsin to additional “high speed rail” boondoogle spending (read why he’s right on the policy merits); Governor Quinn responded by trying to woo a Wisconsin-based rail firm to Illinois. Beyond targeted campaigns to win over one company or another...
by Kate Piercy A recent Rasmussen Reports national survey found ambivalence among voters about House Republican plans to investigate the Obama administration – unless the subject of the probe is the unpopular national health care bill. Scott Rasmussen remarked about the findings, saying, “Voters want Congress to focus on substance, not distractions. Congressional questioning about policy...
All across the country, from federal races to local races, the national mood and resulting election wave dominated and largely prevailed. In Illinois, that same wave only flowed for the federal races, not the General Assembly or governor’s race. Mark Kirk won President Obama’s Senate seat, and there were four GOP pickups in the House...
On September 30th the Illinois Turnaround Tour made a stop in Rockford. Over 50 people packed the Wallingford Center at the Best Western Clock Tower Resort to hear about the Illinois Turnaround Plan of lower taxes; responsible spending; transparent, accountable government; and a business friendly environment that empowers entrepreneurs, investors and workers. John Tillman, CEO...
by John Tillman Since the tax hike fight of 2009 (the picture on the left is from my debate on Fox 32 on the merits of a tax hike versus spending reforms – see it here) we have been saying some simple things at the Illinois Policy Institute. First, our problems are rooted in structural overspending. Second,...
by Collin Hitt It looks like Gov. Quinn is taking full campaign advantage of the federal education bailout funds that I discussed yesterday. I’d expressed some concern that the governor’s office issued some questionable advice to school districts, asking them to spend their federal allocations between now and November – advice that was offered without the...
Illinois students could soon benefit from scholarship money to help them find a tutor, attend ACT or SAT prep sessions, pay tuition, get special education services or assist with other academic needs. That will happen in Illinois only if Gov. J.B. Pritzker lets the state’s schoolchildren benefit from the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program, established...