Illinois pensions: What you need to know
Illinois pensions: What you need to know
Here's what you need to know about Illinois' $111 billion state pension crisis.
Illinois paid $1.6M to state workers whose workplaces are closed
Illinois paid $1.6M to state workers whose workplaces are closed
A pending lawsuit by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, among other unions, is keeping dozens of workers on state payrolls – even though their workplaces have been shuttered for months.
Illinois became less competitive after Blagojevich’s 2005 workers’ compensation bill
Illinois became less competitive after Blagojevich’s 2005 workers’ compensation bill
This blog is the fifth part of a series that explores Illinois’ workers’ compensation system, the state’s inadequate reforms, and opportunities policymakers should seize now to make the system less costly and more effective for employers and workers alike.
Oversight of Chicago City Council coming soon
Oversight of Chicago City Council coming soon
At its next meeting in February, City Council will likely approve legislation to expand the scope of the inspector general’s role to overseeing aldermen.
What’s driving the Illinois exodus? Census data point to jobs, housing
What’s driving the Illinois exodus? Census data point to jobs, housing
More than two-thirds of people moving far from their home state said employment or housing drove their decision.
Rahm’s Whine and Cheese
Rahm’s Whine and Cheese
Rauner moves to declare impasse in negotiations with AFSCME
Rauner moves to declare impasse in negotiations with AFSCME
Lacking signs of progress after 24 bargaining sessions with Illinois’ largest government-employee union, Gov. Bruce Rauner says that “further negotiation is no longer worthwhile.” AFSCME continues to ignore the fact that the people who pay its members’ salaries and benefits, Illinois taxpayers, continue to struggle in a difficult Illinois economy. Illinois workers, faced with stagnant earnings, are now paying for AFSCME salaries that are double their own.
Chicago Public Schools debt slides deeper into ‘junk’ status
Chicago Public Schools debt slides deeper into ‘junk’ status
Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services issued a two-notch downgrade to the Chicago Board of Education on Jan. 15, citing failure to address the district’s structural financial problems.
Make body cameras mandatory to improve police accountability
Make body cameras mandatory to improve police accountability
Ninety-two percent of Americans support a body camera requirement for police officers; to enhance transparency and accountability, Chicago should require its police to use body cameras.
Court testimony: Center of Chicago red-light-camera scandal ordered donations to Madigan’s political organization
Court testimony: Center of Chicago red-light-camera scandal ordered donations to Madigan’s political organization
Redflex bagman Martin O’Malley says John Bills ordered him to pay thousands of dollars to Mike Madigan’s 13th Ward Democratic Organization.
Illinois is unprepared for the next recession
Illinois is unprepared for the next recession
Sky-high debt and a meager rainy day fund make Illinois the second-least prepared state in the U.S. for its capacity to weather a recession.
The “Working Class”
The “Working Class”
GE rejects Chicago as home for corporate headquarters, cites pension debt
GE rejects Chicago as home for corporate headquarters, cites pension debt
General Electric will move its corporate headquarters and 800 jobs to Boston, Mass., from Fairfield, Conn., noting its concerns about Chicago’s government-worker pension debt in its rejection of the Windy City.
Illinois taxpayers will pay steep penalty rate in $500M bond issuance
Illinois taxpayers will pay steep penalty rate in $500M bond issuance
Illinois has the lowest credit rating among the 50 states, forcing taxpayers to pay hundreds of millions of dollars more in borrowing costs than residents of states in better fiscal condition.