Rauner signs bill allowing medical marijuana alternative for opioid prescriptions
Rauner signs bill allowing medical marijuana alternative for opioid prescriptions
The Alternative to Opioids Act will give more Illinoisans the option to treat pain with medical marijuana.
By Vincent Caruso
Springfield taxpayers could see savings through township consolidation
Springfield taxpayers could see savings through township consolidation
A ballot question asking voters whether to eliminate Capital Township could bring savings to Springfield taxpayers – but that would just be one of many steps worth taking to lower Springfield’s high property taxes.
IRS moves to block Illinois lawmakers’ tax credit workaround scheme
IRS moves to block Illinois lawmakers’ tax credit workaround scheme
New IRS rules make clear that lowering the actual tax burden, not complicated workarounds, is the correct way to respond to tighter federal restrictions on SALT deductions.
Mark Kucinick
Mark Kucinick
“My folks all came from small towns, Livingston and Benld. I was born in Belleville, raised in Collinsville. “Some people can pack up and leave as soon as they graduate from high school or college and never look back. Me and my wife were never like that. “This is our life. Our whole life, we’ve...
New Mexico stops deducting unconstitutional union fees from state employees
New Mexico stops deducting unconstitutional union fees from state employees
The state of New Mexico has taken steps to comply with the Janus v. AFSCME decision by stopping all union dues and fees until members sign new authorizations. Illinois should follow suit.
By Mailee Smith
Rauner vetoes bill mandating $40,000 minimum salary for teachers statewide
Rauner vetoes bill mandating $40,000 minimum salary for teachers statewide
Dictating teachers’ salaries from Springfield would impose a costly mandate on local school districts and expose struggling homeowners across the state to property tax hikes.
By Eddie Damstra
Rauner signs bill lifting ban on industrial hemp
Rauner signs bill lifting ban on industrial hemp
The Industrial Hemp Act will plant the seeds for the growth of commercial hemp production across Illinois.
By Vincent Caruso
Rauner vetoes smoking ban for Illinoisans under 21
Rauner vetoes smoking ban for Illinoisans under 21
Chicago’s legal smoking age of 21 would have been expanded statewide under the proposal.
By Vincent Caruso
Cook County assessor candidate calls for ban on aldermen serving as property tax attorneys
Cook County assessor candidate calls for ban on aldermen serving as property tax attorneys
The Democratic nominee in the Cook County assessor’s race is voicing support for a ban on city aldermen doubling as property tax appeals attorneys, an arrangement that encourages conflicts of interest.
By Vincent Caruso
Pension reform for Illinois is essential, not impossible
Pension reform for Illinois is essential, not impossible
Pension reform is a moral imperative. The alternative is a future in which core services are cut, taxes are raised, and pensioners risk losing what they’ve already been promised as the funds go insolvent.
Sherry Arnold
Sherry Arnold
“I first came here in 1989. I moved for four years out to North Carolina and then came back. I was excited about moving back because my grandbaby was being born. “I thought I’d just retire here. Then all the taxes came. “We’re going to move out by the spring. “My land taxes doubled from...