On May 30, the General Assembly voted to override Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s plan to delay payments to Chicago’s police and fire pension funds – at a cost to Chicago taxpayers of an additional $18.6 billion over the next 40 years.
The Illinois House will attempt a fifth vote on an AFSCME arbitration bill designed to remove Gov. Bruce Rauner from the collective bargaining process.
Nearly 25 percent of Illinois’ workforce requires government permission to work.
A compromise among Illinois’ legislative leaders will extend the length and scope of Illinois’ medical marijuana pilot program.
House Bill 5973 would help ex-offenders support themselves and their families by removing barriers for nonviolent ex-offenders who want to work in barbering, cosmetology, esthetics, hair braiding, nail services, roofing and funeral service.
Senate Bill 2048 isn’t a serious blueprint for the future of Illinois.
If AFSCME workers cannot be paid in the absence of a budget appropriation, pressure will be turned up on the governor to agree to the union’s unreasonable demands.
“All of my family members growing up were barbers, cosmetologists, jobs like like that. I learned to love being around people since they were always coming through my house to get a cut. “I love to cut hair, I love being around people. And enrolling in barber school was one of the first positive things...
Amazon’s new Joliet, Ill., facilities will bring needed jobs to the state, but special tax deals are not the way to improve Illinois’ sluggish jobs climate.
Latest budget proposal from House Democrats would almost certainly cause further delays in officials’ pay, as Gov. Bruce Rauner would likely veto the plan, which is unbalanced by $7 billion.
Illinois AFSCME workers enjoy yearly wages of nearly $60,000 when adjusted for cost of living, in addition to Cadillac health care benefits. Most Illinois state workers will also get free health insurance when they retire, and career state retirees receive $1.6 million in pension benefits on average.
Imposing civil fines instead of criminal penalties for marijuana possession is a smart first step toward changing how the state deals with low-level, nonviolent crimes.