With additional protection in the Illinois Constitution, state employees and even public officials could be shielded from discipline and corruption reforms thwarted.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker teased Illinoisans in mid-October that he might lift the statewide mask mandate if new COVID-19 cases declined. But he recently pulled back on that hope, leaving Illinois as one of the few states with a statewide mask mandate.
Chicago Public Schools declared a day off for students ages 5 to 11 to get their COVID-19 shots. But little notice and the fact the vaccines were just approved for younger children mean parents face challenges to actually getting shots for their kids.
Sales tax revenue is up from pre-pandemic levels, in part because Illinois is now forcing online retailers to charge local sales tax rates as high as 10.25%. No tax breaks this Cyber Monday.
A former Illinois House leader pleaded guilty to accepting bribes and then offering bribes to a state senator in an effort to push gambling legislation.
Illinois students were missing – in masses – during the COVID-19 restrictions on in-person learning. As a result, nearly 20% fewer students met math and English proficiency standards.
Inmates should have fewer troubles returning to their lives thanks to a new program intended to hand them an ID as they leave Illinois prisons.
Amendment 1 would constitutionally prohibit Illinois lawmakers from pulling back on union power. It would give government union bosses more power than voters and than those elected to represent voters’ interests.
While phasing in the tax impact of sharp increases in assessed value could help Cook County’s commercial property owners adjust, holding down property taxes requires reducing spending through public pension reform in Illinois.
Guest: Mailee Smith
“This year, our assessment increased 540%, and we fear next year our taxes will see a substantial increase. We’re appealing, but if our taxes continue to rise at such high rates, there is a good chance they will be putting us out of business."
Barring reforms, the Teachers’ Retirement System could eventually run out of money and be unable to pay promised benefits to retirees, all while making it more expensive for teachers to live in Illinois.
Illinois’ sluggish labor market is driven by a record number of workers quitting their jobs at the same time there are fewer job opportunities than in nearly any other state. Even though an all-time record number of workers quit, Illinois was only No. 7 in the “Great Resignation.”
Illinois Democrats finally passed the fourth draft of their congressional district map after earlier versions prompted criticism from the Hispanic community and even fellow Democrats. A university gave several versions an “F.”