Illinois school finance bill bails out Chicago
Illinois school finance bill bails out Chicago
A bill that has passed the Illinois House and Senate would provide CPS with a $215 million pension bailout and other funding carve-outs.
Illinois is going to need a bigger boat
Illinois is going to need a bigger boat
Illinois comptroller’s plan to pay off state’s bill backlog includes borrowing more money
Illinois comptroller’s plan to pay off state’s bill backlog includes borrowing more money
Even with 32 percent tax hike, Illinois State Comptroller expects only $5 billion of the state’s unpaid bills to be paid down.
Cook County judge unveils change to cash bail
Cook County judge unveils change to cash bail
Reforms in Cook County and in Illinois make pretrial release possible for nondangerous defendants with little money for bail.
Illinois bill would legalize sale, production of hemp
Illinois bill would legalize sale, production of hemp
Senate Bill 1294 creates the Industrial Hemp Act, which would require licensing for “any person desiring to grow, process, cultivate, harvest, process, possess, sell, or purchase industrial hemp or industrial hemp related products must be licensed by the Department of Agriculture.”
Capitol Fax Rich Miller
Capitol Fax Rich Miller
Property taxes grow faster than Illinoisans’ ability to pay for them
Property taxes grow faster than Illinoisans’ ability to pay for them
Illinois homeowners’ property taxes are among the highest in the nation. They are consuming more and more of Illinoisans’ incomes.
Cook County’s sweetened drink tax still hasn’t taken effect
Cook County’s sweetened drink tax still hasn’t taken effect
An Illinois appeals court upheld a temporary restraining order on Cook County’s proposed sweetened beverage tax. Cook County officials claim 1,100 jobs will be lost if the tax does not go into effect.
Gas tax
Gas tax
Emanuel shrugs at possible credit downgrade for Chicago
Emanuel shrugs at possible credit downgrade for Chicago
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel expressed little concern over Moody’s Investors Service’s announcement that it might downgrade Chicago’s already-junk-rated bonds over CPS budget problems.
Forgotten Illinois: Round Lake
Forgotten Illinois: Round Lake
After speaking with folks in Round Lake for months, we knew the families of Lake County had each other’s backs when times were tough. We knew these communities were strong. But the events of this week have revealed the true strength of those ties. The families of Lake County are now working tirelessly to rebuild...
Illinois budget ends tax break early, cost of gas to go up
Illinois budget ends tax break early, cost of gas to go up
As part of the just-enacted state budget, the General Assembly has moved up the expiration of a tax break for sales of gasoline mixed with ethanol. This will likely make the price at the pump go up.
Metro area unemployment: Which states are in reverse? Spotlight Illinois
Metro area unemployment: Which states are in reverse? Spotlight Illinois
The U.S. unemployment rate is 4.4 percent, but unemployment varies widely among the nation’s 388 metro areas.
Moody’s right, S&P wrong on Illinois budget
Moody’s right, S&P wrong on Illinois budget
Illinois’ bond rating may not be junk, but the state’s finances still are.