Illinois law allows law enforcement to take custody of mistreated pets
Illinois law allows law enforcement to take custody of mistreated pets
Local law enforcement will can take temporary custody of pets left in life-threatening weather conditions.
Worker freedom: More than 3,700 Illinois state workers stopped paying money to a union in 2018
Worker freedom: More than 3,700 Illinois state workers stopped paying money to a union in 2018
Of the more than 3,700 Illinois state workers who stopped sending part of every paycheck to a union, 2,800 stopped sending their money to AFSCME.
By Vincent Caruso
Quincy hikes property taxes to pay for pensions
Quincy hikes property taxes to pay for pensions
The Gem City joins a growing list of Illinois municipalities raising property taxes to pay for pensions.
Southwestern Illinois home to 340 pension millionaires
Southwestern Illinois home to 340 pension millionaires
A former Edwardsville university administrator and a retired judge each have collected more than $3 million in pension payments. Too little paid in with too much taken out is the heart of Illinois’ pension crisis.
By Brad Weisenstein
How shock at McHenry County tax bills is fueling a revolution
How shock at McHenry County tax bills is fueling a revolution
Frustration over high taxes and government waste in Illinois need more than an angry social media post or a moving van. Some residents of McHenry County, Illinois, acted, and are winning reforms.
Each day, a plane full of Illinoisans moving to another state
Each day, a plane full of Illinoisans moving to another state
It’s the fifth year in a row Illinois has lost people. And the fifth year in a row that the loss has gotten worse. No other state finds itself adrift in five consecutive years of worsening population decline.
By Austin Berg
Christmas wish list: 12 gifts for Illinois taxpayers in 2019
Christmas wish list: 12 gifts for Illinois taxpayers in 2019
In 2018, Springfield handed Illinoisans more of the same repackaged policy failures. Lawmakers in the coming year should tape to their desks this wish list of taxpayer-friendly reforms.
By Vincent Caruso
‘Home Alone’ with a $38,500 property tax bill
‘Home Alone’ with a $38,500 property tax bill
As pension costs explode for Winnetka and the rest of Illinois, owners of the “Home Alone” house featured in the 1990 film are feeling the effects.
Holiday shopping and the sales tax scrooge
Holiday shopping and the sales tax scrooge
The average American will spend around $800 on gifts this Christmas. But making those holiday buys in Illinois will leave many families wishing they could get more bang for their buck.
By Austin Berg
With 517 laws passed last year, odds are some will help Illinois taxpayers in 2019
With 517 laws passed last year, odds are some will help Illinois taxpayers in 2019
New Year brings new laws as the 100thGeneral Assembly ends. Here are a few wins for Illinois taxpayers.
Home alone: Unattended 13-year-old? Police can arrest the parents in Illinois
Home alone: Unattended 13-year-old? Police can arrest the parents in Illinois
Illinois’ law mandating a minimum age for leaving children home alone is the most restrictive in the nation. That should change.
By Vincent Caruso, Jeffrey Schwab
Madigan-Pritzker progressive tax: 2019’s worst policy idea for Illinois’ middle class
Madigan-Pritzker progressive tax: 2019’s worst policy idea for Illinois’ middle class
Other states’ experiences show progressive taxes creep beyond the rich and into the pockets of the middle class.
By Orphe Divounguy, Bryce Hill
Illinois population loss worsens for 5th straight year