Illinois’ dismal business climate continues to inhibit jobs growth, especially in manufacturing, as the state put 25 people on food stamps for every factory job created during the recovery from the Great Recession.
People who support popular opinions have little to lose from having their support for those ideas known. It’s the people who are challenging the status quo – like the NAACP during the civil-rights movement – who have to be concerned about harassment and retaliation for their views.
Occupational licensing requirements present one of the steepest barriers to low-income Illinoisans starting careers in beauty services. Illinois requires anyone seeking to become a barber, cosmetologist, nail technician or hair braider to obtain a state license, essentially a permission slip to work. Unlike 45 other states, Illinois offers only one pathway to licensure for each...