Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he is “hopeful” Illinois could soon drop statewide pandemic protocols after COVID-19 dropped by half. His peers in Delaware, New Jersey and earlier Iowa dropped their mask mandates.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said after two years of COVID-19 mitigations and a sharp decline in rates, she believes Iowans will make the safe choices without laws forcing them. Pritzker does not share that confidence in Illinoisans.
With 251,900 jobs still missing since the pandemic began, Illinois’ job market is the least recovered among Midwestern states
Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey announced he’s returning to the classroom once his term expires in June. Sharkey has led CTU since 2014 through three work stoppages.
“I hope that many Latinos come forward and ask a Catholic school, ‘What opportunities are there?’ And when they ask me, ‘Gosh, how do you do it?’ I respond, ‘Ask! Ask the school closest to your home. Go and ask.’"
Illinois’ pension debt is the highest of any state. An easy fix to state law would start the Tier 3 retirement program, saving $577 million while workers gain options.
Illinois leads the nation in local government bloat, with over 6,000 taxing bodies. The Citizen’s Empowerment Act, sponsored by Illinois House Rep. Jonathan Carroll, would make it easier for Illinois taxpayers to dissolve unnecessary layers of government.
Chicago property taxpayers face a nearly 5% hike this year after a decade in which their bills nearly doubled. The city failed to capitalize on the COVID-19 stimulus windfall like others did.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot pledged unvaccinated city employees will soon be placed on “no-pay status” and face potential termination for failing to comply with her COVID-19 ultimatum. City lists 550 firefighters as unvaccinated.
A financial watchdog report estimated each taxpayer in Chicago would need to pay $43,100 to settle the city’s debt. It stands at No. 2 for big U.S. cities. Blame city leaders for repeatedly making pension debt worse.
Despite claims during Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s speech, his budget documents show a flood of federal COVID-19 aid temporarily shrank Illinois’ deficit but failed to balance its budget. His next budget will not end well.
Nearly 17% of the jobs held by Black Illinoisans prior to the COVID-19 pandemic are still missing, nearly triple the loss of white Illinoisans.