Under the latest extension of Illinois’ stay-at-home order, residents will be required to wear masks in stores and other places where social distancing is not possible.
The budget was not balanced, and Illinois has not balanced a budget for nearly two decades. Pretending Illinois had no issues before COVID-19 won’t help it recover.
Property tax delays give breathing room to homeowners, many of whom have gone more than a month without a paycheck because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
City leaders must prioritize critical spending – and avoid hiking taxes on a struggling economy.
The judge said Pritzker’s executive orders “shredded the constitution,” highlighting the need for the Illinois General Assembly to play a role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With more than 755,000 Illinoisans out of work, state employees are still scheduled to get their automatic raises. Gov. J.B. Pritzker is treating those raises as non-negotiable. Governors in other states would disagree.
The governor is poised to continually issue disaster proclamations to extend his emergency powers during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the General Assembly has a role to play in the crisis, too.
Farmers have always proven resilient and ultimately will survive the virus and anything state government lobs at them.
Illinois’ taxes and fees on gasoline keep the pump price high, even when oil producers are paying for someone to take excess crude. The state gas tax is set to rise again in July.
Two decades of fiscal mismanagement have left state finances ill-prepared for the COVID-19 pandemic. Congress should condition any additional aid for troubled states on taxpayer protections that ensure pensions are solvent, accounting is realistic and budgets are balanced.
As Illinois teeters on the edge of a junk credit rating, one key policymaker is floating bankruptcy as a solution.
An illegal patronage operation brought on federal oversight when Karen Yarbrough was Cook County’s recorder of deeds. It’s happened again to her as county clerk.