Pritzker proposes record-setting $56 billion budget
Pritzker proposes record-setting $56 billion budget
Spending proposal features $1 billion in updated revenue assumptions, $589 million in tax and fee hikes and $139 million in fund sweeps.
Illinois’ increased revenue because of federal economy, not state lawmakers
Illinois’ increased revenue because of federal economy, not state lawmakers
Higher tax revenue paints a better picture for Illinois’ budget, but increases have been driven by strong national economy, rather than local policy.
Illinois at near record-low union membership in 2025
Illinois at near record-low union membership in 2025
Just 13.1% of workers in Illinois were union members in 2025. Thousands of government workers have rejected union membership.
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Amazon Fresh cuts 1,545 Illinois jobs in January
Amazon Fresh cuts 1,545 Illinois jobs in January
Amazon laid off 1,545 Illinois employees. That was most of 2,000 total layoffs across the state in January.
Waste watch: Illinois spends $4.4M on podcast, music studios
Waste watch: Illinois spends $4.4M on podcast, music studios
Illinois’ broken budgeting process allows legislators to hand taxpayer money to podcasting and production studios.
Illinois at risk of losing $700M in SNAP funding from high error rate
Illinois at risk of losing $700M in SNAP funding from high error rate
Illinois must cut its error rate nearly in half to avoid penalties.
VALLAS: Don’t be fooled by Pritzker’s boasts of population gains
VALLAS: Don’t be fooled by Pritzker’s boasts of population gains
Roughly half of Illinois residents say they would leave the state if they could. That warning should be a wake-up call to state and local leaders.
Illinois “spending cuts” aren’t from good behavior
Illinois “spending cuts” aren’t from good behavior
Illinois lawmakers claim the state saved nearly $500 million in fiscal year 2026, but most “savings” are either from federal decisions or shifting costs, not serious fiscal restraint.
Is your school led by the Illinois Federation of Teachers?
Is your school led by the Illinois Federation of Teachers?
Does it matter which union represents your child’s teachers? The Illinois Federation of Teachers represents a lot of school districts where student performance is lacking.
New bill offers police and firefighters pension buyout option
New bill offers police and firefighters pension buyout option
Giving police and fire retirees a pension cash-out option would help reduce long-term pension debt.
Valentine’s Day: No love for Chicago taxpayers
Valentine’s Day: No love for Chicago taxpayers
Commuter changed jobs to avoid tolls, warns of rate hikes
Commuter changed jobs to avoid tolls, warns of rate hikes
State lawmakers voted to hike road tolls in 2027, even though the state has billions in the road fund it’s not using. Some drivers are reconsidering their commutes; Laura Valdez explains why she cut toll roads out of her routine years ago.
Illinois on track to lose another congressional seat
Illinois on track to lose another congressional seat
Illinois is on pace to lose a seat in Congress based on new census data. International immigration and interstate migration are driving those projections.