State revenue losses around the country have ranged from far less than expected to non-existent. Fiscally healthy states are giving back to taxpayers. That doesn’t include Illinois.
Guest: Adam Schuster
Classrooms First Act would benefit virtually all Illinoisans including teachers, parents and students.
Despite the strongest jobs report in months, Illinois’ unemployment rate remains high as the U.S. rate continues to drop.
Illinois has been ruled by executive order since early March 2020, with Gov. J.B. Pritzker reissuing statewide COVID-19 disaster proclamations every 30 days. On Aug. 20 he declared Illinois a disaster for the 20th time.
With billions in federal COVID-19 relief earmarked for Illinois schools and local government, Gov. J.B. Pritzker pushed them to use the money to lower or freeze property taxes. He made no mention of the state’s role in pushing property taxes to the second-highest in the U.S.
The interstate nursing license compact received bipartisan support in the Illinois General Assembly but was opposed by labor unions. COVID-19 medical staffing shortages prove the wisdom of letting nurses be more mobile.
The CTU president said there was an impasse, with union leaders and Chicago Public Schools administrators divided on quarantine policies and remote learning options for students. School administrators said the union is ‘rejecting the science for their own gain.’
“High and growing property taxes here tend to depress home values.”
Vax Verify, Illinois’ new resident immunization portal, contains incorrect COVID-19 vaccine records. In a state where data leaks and hacks have been too common, the potential for health information being exposed is a reasonable worry.
Illinois is again delaying the sale of the Thompson Center state office building in Chicago, which was neglected until the state could no longer afford to fix it. The state’s new delay is to take advantage of zoning changes and in the hope office space prices rebound.
Most Illinois government meetings are open to the public, with a few exceptions. Here’s what to know about Illinoisans’ rights to see what government is doing by using the Illinois Open Meetings Act.
Pension debt is a record $144.2 billion while Illinois’ short-term debt is on track to reach $22 billion in three years, exceeding the record $16.7 billion hit during the budget impasse.