January 2017 will see a new General Assembly, but the lame duck session casts a long shadow over the new legislature.
2016 is ending much the same way it began for Illinois taxpayers – with AFSCME costing the state millions of dollars as it stalls progress on a contract for state workers. We can expect more of the same in 2017, with union leadership doing all it can to thwart Gov. Bruce Rauner and the state’s labor board – including the possibility of a state worker strike.
Recent data from the Illinois Department of Human Services show nearly 2 million Illinois residents need government assistance to put food on the table this holiday season, as the state continues to hemorrhage manufacturing jobs and other blue-collar opportunities. Each year’s end is a time for reflection.
Although the battle for the budget drags on, there were several important legislative wins for Illinoisans in 2016 including criminal justice reform, averting tax hikes, and stopping Madigan’s agenda in the lame duck session.
Income and sales taxes account for nearly two-thirds of state revenue.
The head of the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund, or IMRF, has dismissed calls for pension reform, disregarding the fact that pensions aren’t manageable, benefits aren’t affordable, and previous “reforms” propped up pensions on the backs of new workers.
For each percentage point drop in the private sector’s share of the state economy, Illinois household incomes fall by over $3,000 on average. Unfortunately for Illinoisans, the private sector’s share of the Illinois economy has dwindled as government’s share – enabled through tax-funded spending – has risen to 25 percent.
“When my father passed away I was 7 and it was just me and my mom. My mom had a third-grade education. But we never knew we were poor. The family was good, the community was good. If it hadn’t have been for Mr. Lang’s store … I would have never had a Christmas tree....
Illinois’ duplicative and overlapping units of government contribute to the state’s high property tax burden, but luckily some small steps have been taken to consolidate them.
Common sense tells us most 13-year olds are perfectly capable of staying home alone after school while their parent is at work, but in Illinois, common sense isn’t the law.
If Democrats choose Madigan for the 17th time, he will be crowned the longest-serving House speaker in U.S. history.
After receiving incentives and abatements guaranteed by state and local taxpayer dollars, Amazon announces two new facilities in Aurora.