Unfortunately for taxpayers, June was a groundbreaking month for corruption in Illinois. In June alone, there were reports of 85 corruption-related stories in the state. Some of the record-breaking highlights include the following: For the first time in 33 years, the Illinois Legislative Audit Commission exercised its subpoena powers in the issuance of a subpoena...
By Brian Costin
06/04/2014
In completing our second month of the new “Illinois Corruption Watch” project, we are shocked at the volume of corruption stories being reported across the state. In just two months we have found reports of 101 different corruption-related stories; 45 in April and 56 in May. It’s no wonder Illinois citizens have by far the...
The State Journal Register’s recent editorial critiquing the Illinois Policy Institute’s study, The crisis hits home: Illinois’ local pension problem, was disappointing on many fronts. The city of Springfield performed dismally in the Institute’s statewide audit, which measured ten different metrics to arrive at a comprehensive picture of a city’s fiscal health. Springfield scored worst among the state’s...
By Benjamin VanMetre
12/23/2013
Lawmakers failed to keep their promise to pay down the state’s bills despite the fact that they are still raking in billions in new money from the 2011 tax hike. In fact, Illinois’ unpaid bills are slated to reach $9 billion during the Christmas season this year. When the Illinois General Assembly passed a record...
TAGS: debt, income tax, progressive income tax, unpaid bills
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
By Benjamin VanMetre
11/25/2013
The Illinois General Assembly passed a record income tax increase on individuals and businesses in 2011. And Gov. Pat Quinn promised that it specifically was “designed to pay our bills.” By the end of the current fiscal year, lawmakers will have collected a total of $25.7 billion in new revenue from the 2011 tax hike....
TAGS: debt, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, unpaid bills
By Hilary Gowins
08/04/2013
Illinois lawmakers stopped getting paid on Thursday. So did Gov. Pat Quinn, who on July 10 used his line-item veto power to halt lawmaker pay until the General Assembly reaches an agreement on pension reform. But a Rantoul-based credit union has come to their aid, offering interest-free loans to state legislators. According to the State Journal-Register,...
By Hilary Gowins
06/21/2013
Remember when the state of Illinois said its new $1 cigarette tax would bring in $350 million in additional revenue? Unless this tax garners an additional $138 million in the next 10 days, these lofty projections are about to crash and burn. The cigarette tax hike, which took effect a year ago this month, is...
by Brian Costin The Illinois Policy Institute has long been a supporter of strengthening the Open Meetings Act, or OMA, and Freedom Information Act, or FOIA. Unfortunately, OMA and FOIA often come under attack by the Illinois General Assembly. The most recent assault is in the concealed carry bill that recently passed the House and Senate, and awaits Gov....
By Hilary Gowins
06/19/2013
Tucked in during the Illinois General Assembly’s special session to discuss the state’s pension crisis was a proposal to give a corporate giant a special tax break. According to the State Journal-Register, OfficeMax Inc. is asking the state of Illinois for tax breaks to keep the company’s headquarters in-state after the office supply chain’s merger with...
