Year after year the state budget has diverted money meant for transportation to pay the bills. It’s a good bet the fiscal 2027 budget will do it again.
The proposed Illinois budget gives money to NASCAR and PGA as lawmakers weigh a Bears stadium tax break, putting taxpayers on the hook for private sports costs.
Actuaries say Illinois needs to put in $17 billion a year to fix the plans, but the 2027 plan calls for far less.
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...
The proposed state budget would pay to develop a new definition in the face of federal changes to the SNAP program.
They are signaling a willingness to raise taxes as the May 31 deadline quickly approaches.
The state again had the highest residential property tax rate in the U.S. in 2024, tied with New Jersey.
Under the measure, aspiring barbers, cosmetologists and others would have a path to a license that doesn’t require expensive schooling.
Many school districts cover teachers’ required pension contribution of 9% of their salary — putting that burden on taxpayers.
Chicago Public Schools borrowed over $1.8 billion amid a delay in last year’s Cook County bills, adding interest costs and exposing the fragility of the district’s finances.
The city should aim to scrap or restructure the 2008 contract by arguing that it’s “manifestly against public policy.”
The union wanted to raise dues as much as $800 a year to pay for its leaders’ political activities.