The Senate on Inauguration Day took action to limit the power of its legislative leaders. Meanwhile, House Democrats re-elected Mike Madigan as House speaker, ensuring he will become the longest-tenured legislative leader in modern American history.
At the end of his term in 2019, Madigan will be the longest-serving House speaker of any state in modern U.S. history.
The newly re-elected House speaker is pushing a new tax on businesses, an increase to the minimum wage and more spending, while doing nothing to address salient problems such as workers’ compensation and pension debt.
Half of Midwest out-migration losses are coming from Illinois, making it the only shrinking state in the region.
Voters in Naperville and Lisle townships will have the chance to vote on government consolidation after the success of a similar referendum in the November elections.
Chicago Democrat Mike Madigan will hold the speakership for a record 17th time.
The new budget plan coming out of the Illinois Senate does little to nothing to reform the state’s reckless spending and financial mismanagement, but does plenty to hurt state taxpayers.
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s agreement on a contract with the Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council for conservation police officers, as well as 19 other Illinois government-worker unions, demonstrates that it is AFSCME – and not the governor – that is standing in the way of a fair contract for Illinois’ largest group of state workers.
Latest WARN report sees almost all mass layoff announcements come from Cook County.
Both chambers of Kentucky’s legislature have passed, and Gov. Matt Bevin has promised to sign, legislation bringing worker freedom to Kentucky – and further weakening Illinois’ regional economic competitiveness.
Illinois’ $1.3 billion in EDGE tax credits has brought in only 34,000 jobs since 2001, and has enabled politicians to hand out tax relief to select companies rather than lowering anti-growth taxes for all businesses.
Peoria-based heavy-equipment manufacturer Caterpillar has announced a possible move of up to 800 manufacturing jobs out of Aurora.