While the Better Government Association has claimed Illinois’ budget contains no fat to trim, a deeper analysis reveals the state has many areas of expensive inefficiency to reform in state and local government costs, the Medicaid program and K-12 education.
Each Illinois household would pay an additional $1,125 in taxes each year, on average, under the Senate's tax-hike plan.
Though most of the top 100 property tax bills came from New York, the state with the second most entries was Illinois. The 13th highest bill in the country belonged to Exelon’s nuclear generating station in Byron, Illinois, totaling $36.5 million in 2016.
In 2015, Chicago-headquartered Akuna Capital LLC signed a deal with the state of Illinois that state officials estimated to be worth $4.5 million. As part of the agreement, Akuna agreed to hire 10 new employees. The agreement states the new hires specialized in trading and software.
The state government owes the City Water, Light and Power of Springfield $3.5 million on past-due utility bills for state offices. The past-due utility bills are just one part of Illinois’ more than $14.3 billion bill backlog.
Only 51 percent of black adults reported having some form of work in Illinois.
New Bureau of Labor Statistics data show Illinois’ black residents have an unemployment rate of 12.7 percent, more than double the state’s overall rate.
The Illinois House Labor and Commerce Committee has passed a bill to prohibit municipalities in Illinois from enacting local Right-to-Work measures. The bill now heads to the full House of Representatives for a hearing.
A bill that would apply term limits to legislative leaders in the Illinois House and Senate cleared a major hurdle May 19, and is scheduled for a second reading May 22.
House members have spent as much time playing softball and basketball as they have in session since the beginning of May.
Illinois Senate Bill 55 would observe former President Barack Obama’s Aug. 4 birthday, but keep state facilities open.