For nearly 80 years, Illinoisans have voted against the state fireworks ban by crossing state lines each July to buy fireworks, despite threatened penalties. The state is now one of four nationwide to prohibit celebrating Independence Day with fireworks.
WalletHub just ranked U.S. states for patriotism and put Illinois at No. 45. Voter turnout, number of veterans and volunteerism were among the measures used to rate Illinois so low.
When Illinois state lawmakers and Gov. J.B. Pritzker doubled the state gasoline tax in 2019, they built in automatic annual increases to avoid voting for future hikes. The tax increases another half cent on July 1.
Illinois lost jobs in May as the state’s workers found themselves facing a tougher job hunt than workers in other states.
Illinois drivers on July 1 will face automated computer checks for liability insurance twice a year. Failing to get insurance after the state sends a warning letter could end in a $100 fine.
State lawmakers passed a bill allowing local governments to waive licensing fees and registration costs for businesses harmed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but it won’t spare them from state taxes.
"We used to believe that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, and unfortunately now particularly in the educational environment that’s all we do."
Chicago issued permits for about 160 coach houses and granny flats after banning the alternative housing for decades. But restrictions may damage the experiment, especially in areas that most need affordable housing.
Historic unemployment payouts related to the COVID-19 shutdowns left Illinois’ fund billions in the hole. State leaders did nothing to fix it, meaning there could be reduced benefits for the unemployed or higher taxes on employers trying to recover.
Chicago’s surge in carjackings prompted an Illinois Secretary of State candidate to call for digital license plates. The plates could be a convenience that could create privacy problems.
Illinois state lawmakers want voters to hand over Illinois’ economy to unions. Before voting for the measure, they received $15.1 million in campaign cash from those unions.
Because Illinois state lawmakers waited until the last minute to pass a budget, no one noticed multiple errors that could have halted about half of the state’s spending until a month before the fiscal year ended. Haste makes waste of taxpayer dollars.
Illinois saw six of 11 major industries shrink payrolls in May as the nation continued to regain jobs lost during the COVID-19 recession.