Judge says lawmakers shouldn’t be paid ahead of everyone else
Judge says lawmakers shouldn’t be paid ahead of everyone else
Judge Garcia points to the lack of a budget as reason enough to delay payments to legislators.
Illinois lawmakers vote against bill to protect state workers from having their Social Security number shared with unions
Illinois lawmakers vote against bill to protect state workers from having their Social Security number shared with unions
Through collective bargaining agreements with the state, government-worker unions require access to workers’ social security numbers – even if those workers are not members of the union. A bill protecting worker privacy recently failed to get enough votes to pass out of committee.
According to AFSCME’s numbers, fewer than half of Illinois state workers voted to authorize strike
According to AFSCME’s numbers, fewer than half of Illinois state workers voted to authorize strike
In a recent strike-authorization vote, fewer than half of state workers represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees cast ballots in favor of a strike, despite union leaders’ characterization of the outcome as majority approval.
3 reasons why raising felony theft thresholds is a better way to deal with theft
3 reasons why raising felony theft thresholds is a better way to deal with theft
Illinois spent $58 million in 2015 to imprison offenders charged with felony theft. But evidence shows increasing the threshold, as 29 other states have done since 2001, doesn’t increase property crime or larceny rates.
Bank bailout
Bank bailout
Illinois politicians vote to divert $300M from state coffers to fuel local spending
Illinois politicians vote to divert $300M from state coffers to fuel local spending
Despite Illinois’ billions in deficit spending and skyrocketing debt, the Illinois House of Representatives passed House Bill 278, which would transfer an additional $300 million per year of state income tax funds to local governments, continuing to prop up local overspending that fuels high property taxes.
Illinois universities charge high price for perverse priorities
Illinois universities charge high price for perverse priorities
More than 50 percent of the state’s $4.1 billion budget for public universities is spent on retirement costs alone.
Jim Work
Jim Work
“I’m a case study in who you don’t want leaving the state. “I grew up in Wheaton and went to college for accounting at NIU, but I was working in construction the whole time. It was so much better than the typical minimum wage job you get to pay for tuition. You could work outside,...
Picking the bones of Illinois taxpayers
Picking the bones of Illinois taxpayers
Comptroller halts funding for state IT modernization program
Comptroller halts funding for state IT modernization program
Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza is suspending funding for a technology initiative Gov. Bruce Rauner has said would save taxpayer money and promote efficiency, data security and transparency in state government.
Illinois has highest overall tax burden in the nation
Illinois has highest overall tax burden in the nation
A new report from WalletHub finds Illinois’ combined state and local tax burden is higher than that of every other state and the District of Columbia.
Fact-checking Rahm: Students have been leaving Illinois for at least 15 years
Fact-checking Rahm: Students have been leaving Illinois for at least 15 years
Uncertainty about skyrocketing tuition costs, rising taxes, and other factors are the likeliest culprits of Illinois’ student out-migration crisis.
Michigan has reversed the flow of interstate migration with Illinois
Michigan has reversed the flow of interstate migration with Illinois
Illinois used to gain net population from Michigan, but data for recent years indicate that Michigan now gains more residents on net from Illinois.
January jobs growth weak, Illinois labor force in 10-year decline
January jobs growth weak, Illinois labor force in 10-year decline
Newly released Illinois jobs report points to anemic jobs growth and a contracting labor force.